Freedom of Belief and Persecution in Africa Today: A Critical Theological and Socio-Political Analysis of the Nigerian Experience
This paper critically examines religious freedom and Christian persecution in contemporary Africa, with particular emphasis on Nigeria. It argues that persecution is structurally embedded within the interaction of governance failure, religious extremism, ethno-political competition, economic inequality, environmental pressures, and historical grievances, and proposes a contextual public theology rooted in justice, reconciliation, peacebuilding, and social engagement.