PRESS RELEASE

The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has reviewed the National Council of Christian Education Bill and wishes to express its strong and unreserved opposition to the content of the Bill that seeks to regulate and monitor the implementation and development of Christian Education in Nigeria.

By its Title, the Bill purports to introduce mandatory certification of the contents of Christian Religious Education, including Christian Education Syllabuses and curricula. It also seeks to approve and monitor how Christian Religious Education is taught in all schools and to accredit the programmes of Christian Theological Institutions and Seminaries, and certify Christian Religion Education Instructors.

The Church of Nigeria notes that the Bill purports to be retroactive and that existing Church owned Seminaries and Religious Faith based Institutions are not exempted.

Primarily, the Church of Nigeria rejects the Bill for being inconsistent with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution by seeking to interfere with its entrenched Constitutional rights of freedom of religion.

The establishment of curricula, the duration and content of training courses in respect of Christian education at any level is recognized as being entirely within the prerogative of religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.

Registered Christian Churches such as the Church of Nigeria with long established and globally recognized training institutions and products must maintain the right to adhere to their own training methods and content and cannot have same curtailed.

We therefore recommend a consultative forum to discuss the issues of concern relating to the regulation of standards pertaining to Christian education, without interference with the freedom to teach and to learn in accordance with long established educational curricula of well established Churches.

Meanwhile, the Church of Nigeria rejects the National Council of Christian Education Bill and urges that it be withdrawn forthwith by its sponsors.

The LORD be with you.

The Most Rev’d Henry C. Ndukuba, MA, BD, MA, DD

Archbishop, Metropolitan & Primate of the Church of Nigeria

[Saturday, July 29, 2023]