The Darker Side - The Crisis in Nigeria

My previous post on Jos and Nigeria might be judged by some to be a bit too positive. It is admittedly my default disposition to look for the positive, despite the abundant negative things that one can find in almost any nation of the world. Yet it would be naive to pretend that Nigeria is not a deeply challenged nation, despite the magnanimity of its people. 

The greatest and most profound challenge to Nigeria is the political, social, ethnic, and religious tension that divides its three main regions:  the Hausa-speaking north, the Igbo-speaking southeast, and the Yoruba-speaking southwest. The latter two regions are predominantly Christian, while the north is deeply Islamic, ruled by various emirs and sultans from the arrival of Islam in the ninth century. There are also profound differences in the economic and social structures of these societies, as the two were brought together as a unit only by the British in the nineteenth century. 

Yams for sale along a road near Jos

Despite these differences, for many decades, Nigerians from various places intermingled and traded together. Jos is one of the more cosmopolitan cities of the country, with people from nearly every region coming here for the tin mining that was the main economic force in British times. Today, although Hausa is the language of the street, I'm told that one can also hear Yoruba, Ibo, Tiv, and many other languages spoken on the streets of Jos. Muslim communities were well integrated in parts of the south, while Christian communities thrived in the north. This began to unravel in 2001, when a bomb blast ripped through the central market in Jos. In the late 2000s, numerous Christian churches and other infrastructure was targeted in the north. Jos descended into violence a number of times, with some Muslims killing and looting Christian homes, churches and businesses, with reprisals from some Christians against Muslim targets. The city, once largely integrated, quickly balkanized. Today, Jos is divided into predominantly Muslim and predominantly Christian areas. I visited a strongly Muslim neighborhood where "not a Christian remains" in residence and all churches and Christian organizations have been destroyed. I also visited a number of Christian neighborhoods where the scars of reprisal violence against Muslims remains in burned out homes and businesses and destroyed mosques. The two communities look warily at one another, while all suffer from the economic effects.

The remains of a church in a heavily Muslim neighborhood of Jos

Thankfully, here in Jos, most people feel that the situation has improved, although it remains precarious. There is increasing daytime movement of people across some of these lines, and there are some quite remarkable peace-building efforts happening. Many people on both sides have risen up to say that enough is enough and that we must live in peace. Yet tensions remain, especially as the Muslim population (now about 20%) continues to grow. 

Unfortunately, the situation further north is much more dire. The northeastern states have suffered mightily at the hands of Boko Haram, the militant Islamist movement that has wreaked havoc in Nigeria and neighboring Cameroon in recent years. Many churches in these places have been forced "underground," and a lot of church buildings (though far from all) have been destroyed. I am told that many Christian medical and social ministries have seen growth in these areas in recent years, as the social challenges remain great. The population of these places -- Christian and Muslim -- is suffering mightily. Some of the stories of violence are stomach-turning. 

The remains of a mosque in a Christian area of Jos

As in so most conflicts, the situation is not simple. Although the conflict is perceived as religious, many tell me that it is not only religious. The complex dance of Nigerian Federal politics, with its careful balance between ethnicities, regions, and religions, is always at play, as are more localized tensions between settled and more migratory populations in the north. Corruption plays a major role. Cultural norms that call for violent reprisal against those who hurt you add to the volatile mix. As in much of the world, the psychological, social, and economic tensions of the clash of the pre-modern, modern, and post-modern globalized world are also at play. There is no one cause, just as there is not a simple solution. 

It is indeed encouraging to me to see Nigerian ministries involved in the hard work of peace-building, trauma counseling, and community development in the face of so many obstacles. It seems to me that the Nigerian church inherently embraces a holistic view of Christian ministry, as do so many across Africa. Many of these women and men labor selflessly in the interest of seeing a more just society and greater peace with God. It is inspiring.