Niger State Moves to Regulate Religious Preaching

Mandates Sermon Approval and Licensing

The Niger State Government has introduced new regulations requiring religious leaders to submit their sermons for review before delivering them publicly, in what it says is an effort to curb incitement and promote responsible preaching.

Governor Umar Bago made the announcement during an interview on Politics on Sunday aired on TVC. He clarified that the initiative is not a ban on religious activities, but a preventive measure to ensure that messages delivered from the pulpit do not promote violence, extremism, or anti-government sentiments.

“I didn’t ban evangelism,” Bago said. “But anyone intending to preach—on Fridays, Sundays, or any day—must submit their sermon texts for review. This is standard practice even in countries like Saudi Arabia.”

He emphasized that being a cleric does not give individuals the license to spread messages that could incite unrest or create division. “You cannot use the pulpit to preach what is anti-people or anti-government and think it’s acceptable,” he said.

To enforce the policy, the governor said the state government would be working closely with various security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the military.

In addition to sermon vetting, the government is rolling out a preacher licensing system. According to Umar Farooq, head of the State Religious Affairs office, all clerics must obtain a preaching licence within the next two months.

“Yes, the state has placed a regulation on preaching,” Farooq confirmed. “Any individual who wishes to preach must apply for a licence. The process involves collecting and completing a form at our office and appearing before a screening panel before they can be approved to preach.”

The government argues that these measures are necessary to maintain peace, prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, and ensure religious teachings align with the state’s security and social harmony goals.