Newspapers and the Sharia Debate in Nigeria: Contexts, Issues and Trends

Abstract

That the adoption of strict Sharia is generating issues around the world is obvious. Given the various manifestations of the adoption or implementation of Sharia in different societies, the situation could not have been otherwise. Newspapers’ coverage of the Sharia debate in Nigeria brings out the different dimensions of the issues and the contexts in which they arise. This paper examines the issues and trends in the debate as reflected in the Nigerian Newspapers and situates them in the context in which they are understood. Pertinent is the study of New York Times, London Times, and The Globe and Mail of Canada’s coverage of the Sharia issue in Nigeria which provides a comparative basis for the study of the Nigerian newspapers’ coverage. It concludes that the nature of religion and the disposition to religion in Nigeria as well as the nature of the Nigerian society contribute to the content, patterns, and dimensions of the debate.