Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has ordered all preachers to submit their sermons for approval before preaching publicly.
He made this known during an interview on TVC’s Politics on Sunday, where he defended the directive as a measure to protect society.
“I didn’t ban evangelism… For everyone going to sermon on Friday, he should bring his scriptures for review, and it’s normal. Even in Saudi Arabia, this is done,” he said.
Bago insisted that clerics must not preach messages that are “anti-people, anti-government” and claimed his decision was to curb extremist indoctrination.
“We want to be able to see what they are preaching, hear what they are saying,” he added.
Licensing and Screening Panel Introduced
Earlier this month, the Director General of the Niger State Religious Affairs, Umar Farooq, confirmed the new policy.
He said, “Any preacher who wants to preach must secure a licence between now and the next two months.”
Applicants must fill out a form and face a screening panel before they are allowed to preach.
Farooq insisted the process is meant to regulate religious messages and prevent incitement.
Mixed Reactions from Religious Leaders
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State said it was unaware of the directive.
“We shall come up with a statement when we are officially informed,” said CAN Secretary Raphael Opawoye.
However, Islamic scholar Uthman Siraja criticised the move.
“The ban on preaching is an infringement of freedom of worship and religion,” he said.
Siraja advised the government to punish only those who incite violence, not regulate all sermons.
Meanwhile, activist lawyer Maduabuchi Idam described the directive as an attempt to gag free speech.
He said the governor should focus on insecurity in the state rather than policing sermons.
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