Christian Solidarity Worldwide Nigeria (CSW-N) has praised the Governors of Katsina and Niger states for reintroducing Christian Religious Studies (CRS) in public primary and secondary schools.
The group calls this development, a step toward greater religious inclusion and fairness.
In Katsina State, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda reinstated CRS earlier this month, a decision hailed by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) as a demonstration of “justice, fairness and inclusivity” and aligned with Islamic values of equity.
Four months earlier, on 7 March 2025, Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago of Niger State announced that CRS would be made available for Christian students in public schools across the state.
The state has bot been offering CRS as a subject in public schools for over eight years.
Bago underlined the importance of moral education at a time when concerns about family values and social vice are mounting .
CSW-N welcomed these developments in a press release signed by Reuben Buhari, its Research and Press Officer.
“The actions of these two governors are encouraging, they showcase leadership that rises above religious partisanship to promote pluralism,” the organization said.
CSW-N called on other states in northern Nigeria, where CRS is not currently taught, to emulate this inclusive approach.
The advocacy group emphasized that the absence of CRS in public schools denies Christian children equal educational opportunities, forcing many parents to send their children to private institutions or other states.
Moreover, CSW-N supported the NSCIA’s recommendation that states dominated by Christian populations should reciprocate by allowing Islamic Religious Knowledge (IRK) to be taught in public schools, underscoring the need for a balanced approach to religious education nationwide.
