The Role of Religion in Contemporary Violence in Nigeria

Understanding the relationship between religion, insecurity, political narratives and peacebuilding through evidence.

Religion plays an important role in Nigeria’s public life, politics and community relations. But how much contemporary violence is driven by religious differences, and how do political interests, economic grievances, social inequalities and competing narratives shape how conflict is understood?

This report published by the Programme examines these questions, analysing patterns of lethal violence in Nigeria between 2006 and 2025 alongside the narratives that influence perceptions of insecurity and relations between communities of faith.

Utilising robust data from the Nigeria Watch database (2006–2025), the report challenges dominant global narratives of a binary “clash of civilisations” between the Islamic North and Christian South.