In a profound reflection on faith and national cohesion, Professor Tunji Olaopa has pinpointed a critical obstacle to Nigeria's unity: the spectre of theological absolutism within the nation's major religions. Writing on January 8, 2026, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission and Professor of Public Administration argues that the rigid belief systems of Christianity and Islam are a primary source of the country's persistent fragmentation.
The Core Problem: Religion and National Fragmentation
Olaopa identifies a fundamental issue at the heart of Nigeria's developmental struggles. He states that religion has contributed immensely to the fragmentation of the Nigerian polity. The constant theological and political opposition, particularly between Islam and Christianity, generates continuous tension. This conflict undermines every government's project of building One Nigeria devoid of ethnic and religious animosity.
The professor defines the core of this problem as theological absolutism. This is the belief held by a religion that it alone possesses the complete understanding of God's plan for humanity and eternity. Olaopa expresses deep suspicion of this concept, questioning how any single faith can claim to capture the entire essence of a God considered unknowable by the human mind.
The Consequence: Undermined Unity and Development
This absolutist stance, ostensibly maintained to prevent regression into syncretism, has dire practical consequences. It becomes the source of practices that undermine any ecumenical or inter-faith relations in Nigeria. By excluding other religions and their perspectives, it creates an environment of mutual cancellation where faiths label each other as "false."
Olaopa poses a crucial question for the nation's future: How can Nigeria achieve a civic national space of mutual relations if religions eschew open-minded and ecumenical relationship with one another? He further worries about the complicity of Christianity, Islam, and other faiths in Nigeria's chronic underdevelopment. If religions are busy excluding one another, they cannot collectively serve as a spiritual panacea for the country's myriad postcolonial predicaments.
A Personal and National Reformation Point
For Olaopa, the combination of a caricatured Christian faith and the refusal of many clerics to engage in ecumenical conversation signals that Christianity has arrived at a reformation point. This reformation must explore the faith's complexity and significance within the Nigerian context.
However, the professor also grapples with a personal dilemma. As a Christian, he contends with his attachment to a faith that constructs itself as the only religion that guarantees eternal life through the salvation work of Christ. He asks how one can navigate this theological absolutism without falling into the trap of excluding others who are equally attached to their convictions. How does one avoid becoming part of the very refusal of inter-faith relations one criticizes?
Olaopa finds a pathway through reason and personal spiritual journey. He affirms his conviction that a believer's pilgrim journey is strictly personal and self-validating, achieved through personal experience, theological conviction, and guidance from spiritual mentors. He acknowledges the limitation of reason in grasping spiritual enlightenment but also emphasizes the limited human understanding of the vast mysteries behind faith and the universe.
He interprets biblical passages, like 1 Corinthians 2:14, not just as placing faith beyond logic, but as a strategy for trusting his own faith while not limiting others' right to their own spiritual paths. Accepting Christ's declaration in John 14:6 as "the way, the truth, and the life" is a personal pathway for him. This injunction, however, is wrapped in a complex relationship with other commands to love one's neighbor and pray for those in authority.
In conclusion, Professor Olaopa's analysis presents a powerful call for introspection within Nigeria's religious communities. He argues that acknowledging Christianity's core claims does not necessarily imply invalidating other religions' existence and spiritual understanding. The future of Nigeria's unity may well depend on embracing this nuanced, personal, and ecumenical approach to faith, moving beyond absolutism towards mutual respect and a shared role in nation-building.
