In a religious nation of over 186 million people, you can find a church and mosque on almost every street. At public functions, opening prayers are said to start the day's business.
Where do you find a Nigerian who doesn't believe in God? The answer is simple- the Atheist Society of Nigeria. Yes, there is an association of Nigerians who don't believe in a supreme or super deity.
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The ASN was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria on March 10, 2017. One of the primary objectives of the society is to "to provide a voice for freethinking individuals and societies in Nigeria so that we can be a platform through which they can make their needs and views known locally and internationally" according to its website.
How does one become an atheist in a nation filled with religion and spirituality? "People arrive at atheism via different routes" explains the ASN.
"For some people, lack of empirical evidence for the existence of any deity makes them reject belief in the existence of any deity.
Some others arrive at atheism via contemplating the problem of evil in the world, while others arrive at atheism via a keen awareness of the inconsistency of revelations of deities" it states.
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The popular notion is that an atheist believes that there is no God which is false. An atheist is someone who rejects the "assertion that there are gods."
On Sunday, November 11, 2017, the Atheist Society of Nigeria had its national convention at the Conference Centre at the University of Lagos.
Pulse reached out to the ASN for more insight into what it does and comments on atheism in Nigeria. The society has not yet responded to our questions.
It would be interesting to more know about the group and how it operates in Nigeria, a country of religious extremes.
