Education and Religion: The Role of Christianity in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Christianity is one of the world’s major religions introduced to Nigeria in the 15th and 19th centuries respectively. The city of Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, is one of the towns that benefitted from this endeavour much later after its inception in Nigeria. Though, Islam had been well established in the town before the advent of Christianity, since its introduction into the community, Christianity has made tremendous impact on every area of her developments. However, our focus in this paper centres on the immense contributions Christianity has made in the aspects of educational advancement. Other areas of development like religion and politics have been dealt with in other publications of the author. The present study examines the location of Ilorin, introduction of Christianity to the town, and the developments it has brought. Findings revealed that the introduction of Christianity has complemented the socio and economic outlook of the town. It is recommended among others that Christians should develop spirit of tolerance, respect and appreciation for the doctrines and belief system of other religions. This cooperative attitude will assist individual adherents to jointly develop the town socially, economically and educationally.