Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has defended his administration’s new directive requiring religious preachers to submit their sermons for approval before delivering them to the public.
Speaking during an interview on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, Bago stressed that the regulation was not a ban on evangelism or religious practice but a necessary measure to safeguard public peace and prevent the spread of messages that could incite unrest.
“I didn’t ban evangelism. Everyone attending the Friday sermon should bring their scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done. We cannot say because you are a cleric, you will go out and preach messages that are anti-people or anti-government and assume it’s acceptable,” he said.
The governor explained that the move was intended to curb indoctrination and promote harmony, noting that security agencies including the Department of State Services, the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the military would be involved in monitoring compliance.
The development, which surfaced earlier this month, has sparked heated debate across the state.
Confirming the implementation plan, the Director General of Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, disclosed that preachers must obtain a government licence before being allowed to mount the pulpit.
“It is true, the State Government has regulated preaching. Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months. They will fill out forms, face a screening panel, and only then will they be cleared to preach,” Farooq said.
The policy has, however, drawn mixed reactions from religious leaders.
Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof. Bashir Yankuzo, cautioned that while preaching remains a spiritual duty, government may intervene only when such messages threaten public safety.
“Preaching is a command. Government is not paying anyone to do the job; people preach to earn God’s pleasure. But if some go out of their way to incite trouble or use abusive words, then government has the right to step in for peace and security,” he said.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, through its Secretary, Rev. Raphael Opawoye, said it had yet to be officially informed of the directive. “The Christian Association of Nigeria is not aware of the ban. We shall come up with a statement when we are officially briefed,” he said.
But an Islamic scholar, Ustaz Uthman Siraja, described the move as an infringement on the right to freedom of worship.
“The ban on preaching infringes on freedom of religion. The best thing for government is to invite and penalise any preacher who incites the public, rather than subjecting every sermon to approval,” he argued.
