The government of Niger mandates that preachers submit their sermons for approval.

The government of Niger mandates that preachers submit their sermons for approval.

Umar Bago, the governor of Niger State, has mandated that religious leaders in the state submit their sermons for clearance prior to delivery.

Bago clarified on Sunday’s episode of TVC’s Politics that the action was meant to prevent hate speech and safeguard the public, not to outlaw evangelism.

Not that I outlawed proselytising. It is customary for anyone giving a sermon on Friday to bring his texts for study. This is carried out even in Saudi Arabia,” he stated.

“We cannot permit clerics to preach anti-government or anti-people views and consider it normal.”

The governor further stated that the state government will collaborate with security services including as the DSS, police, NSCDC, and military to oversee the procedure.

Earlier, Umar Farooq, the Director-General of State Religious Affairs, declared that within two months, anyone wishing to preach in Niger State must first obtain a permit. Before being allowed to preach, he claimed, preachers would have to complete a form and appear before a panel.

Reactions to the policy have been divided. Though he acknowledges that action might be required if sermons endanger peace, Bashir Yankuzo, the Chief Imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, insists that the government has no power to control who preaches.

He declared, “Preaching is a command, and people do it for God’s sake.”

“However, the government can intervene to keep the peace if someone uses derogatory language or poses a security risk.”

According to Raphael Opawoye, the secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, the organisation was not formally aware of the new regulations and would only react after being notified.

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