TOWARDS BRIDGING ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVIDES IN NIGERIA: EXEGETICO-HERMENEUTICAL APPLICATION OF GAL.3:26-29

Nation building is the primary target of every nation especially, the developing states. To achieve this goal effectively, the collaborative effort of every citizen is required. It is obvious that Nigeria is a heterogeneous society with multi-ethnic groups and religious affiliations. The peculiarities of each ethnic group and religious ideology as unique as they appear, if properly harnessed and harmonized could foster nation building. Observations have shown that ethnic tensions and religious divides are banes that confront Nigeria’s nation building. It is therefore, the interest of this paper to bridge ethnic and religious tension in Nigeria by stimulating greater self-consciousness of the nation’s unity in diversity using Paul’s religious principle of unity “in Christ” as upheld in Gal.3:26-29. This work adopts exegetico-hermeneutical approach. The paper concludes that to build a formidable nation, principle of unity in diversity should take priority over ethnic and religious divides in Nigeria