Religion and institutions: Federalism and the management of conflicts over Sharia in Nigeria

Conflicts over the status of Sharia Islamic law have dominated constitutional politics and ethno‐religious relations in the Nigerian federation for decades. The adoption of stringent Sharia codes by 12 Muslim majority states in northern Nigeria, beginning with Zamfara in 1999, was particularly conte...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of international development 2009-05, Vol.21 (4), p.547-560
Main Author: Suberu, Rotimi T.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa
Conflict
conflicts
constitution
Disintegration
Federalism
federation
Implementation
Interethnic relations
Islamic Law
Majorities
Muslims
Nigeria
Peace building
Political stability
politics
region
Religion & politics
Religion and politics
Religious conflicts
Religious pluralism
Sharia
Sovereignty
states
Studies
Zamfara
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Summary:Conflicts over the status of Sharia Islamic law have dominated constitutional politics and ethno‐religious relations in the Nigerian federation for decades. The adoption of stringent Sharia codes by 12 Muslim majority states in northern Nigeria, beginning with Zamfara in 1999, was particularly contentious, provoking broad concerns about the viability and survival of Nigeria's innovatively structured multi‐ethnic federal system. But Sharia implementation and extension in Nigeria have followed a largely benign trajectory. The Nigerian federation's judicious combination of centrist and autonomy mechanisms has been remarkably effective in managing religious conflict and cauterising potentially disintegrative centrifugal challenges to national stability. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:0954-1748
1099-1328
DOI:10.1002/jid.1572