Muslims and Christians in Nigeria: An economy of political panic

Abstract

This essay offers an alternative analysis of Muslim – Christian relations in Nigeria, rejecting a ‘clash-of-civilizations’ approach as both too generalized and politically self-serving. A more nuanced analysis might focus on the social variables in the different sites of conflict and on the underlying factors, both historical and current. It is argued that, for the most part, Muslims and Christians have lived peacefully alongside each other in Nigeria for a century now.