Liberating Nigeria by Bullus Gago

Description

Nigeria is a nation where faith has never been a private affair. From precolonial identities to the pressures of globalization, religion has served as a powerful force for shaping community, legitimizing authority, and interpreting the uncertainties of life. In Liberating Nigeria, Bullus M. Gago offers a penetrating analysis of how Christianity and Islam have functioned not only as spiritual traditions but also as instruments through which Nigerians have sought to confront existential insecurity—political, economic, and psychological. As colonial amalgamation and modern nationhood intensified competition for resources, religion became both a language of hope and a tool of struggle.

Yet beneath these religious expressions lies a deeper psychological framework—one forged by history, culture, and the enduring quest for survival. Gago reveals how this framework fuels utopian visions that are often manipulated by religiopolitical leaders, drawing ordinary people into cycles of dependency and disillusionment. Through a careful examination of Pentecostal and Islamic movements, this book exposes the paradox of faith practices that promise liberation but can perpetuate oppression. Ultimately, Liberating Nigeria calls for a return to the original liberating impulses within these traditions, offering a bold and hopeful vision for a renewed society grounded in justice, faith, and genuine communal flourishing.