Religious Fundamentalism, Globalisation And National Security In Nigeria

Religion operates on a continuum in which at the optimal point it is beneficial to the state – safeguarding the theological principles of the Islamic faith, promoting peace between Islam and other religions in Nigeria, and enhancing national cohesion through national integration. At the other end of the spectrum, it is detrimental to the Nigerian state as it breeds violence, creates sectarian cataclysms, and contests power with the Nigerian state – this is regarded in this report as Islamic fundamentalism. The Islamic fundamentalism in Nigeria is shaped by a totalitarian ideology, it tends to act as a form of government' and transforms Islam into Jihadism, a situation that has been exacerbated by globalization through the use of technology to aid their nefarious activities. The corollary is that religion carries both positive and negative signals. However, Islamic fundamentalism is associated with negativity, which has disastrously affected the country's national security. Islamic fundamentalists in Nigeria have vehemently deviated from the core principle of Islam to the cacophony of power contestation with the Nigerian state. Typically, contemporary Islamic fundamentalism with its adherents has become a world in itself, it has meant a destructive ideology that is used as a ploy for power contestation with the Nigerian state. This has had wider implications for national security in Nigeria. This paper uses secondary data to analyze the implications of religious fundamentalism and Nigeria's national security in an era of globalization. It proffers policy recommendations on how to curtail the activities of the Islamic fundamentalists in Nigeria, which include an understanding of their ideological stance.