Religious Conflict Driving Nigeria’s Global Scrutiny, Professor Etta Warns

A professor of genetics and biotechnology at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Prof. Hannah Edim Etta, has warned that religious conflict is a major factor behind Nigeria’s continued international scrutiny and placement on global watch lists.

Etta gave the warning in a lecture she delivered at the 12th Inaugural Lecture of UNICROSS, which ended yesterday.

In the lecture titled: “Links, Linkages and The Missing Links: From DNA Backbones to Social Cohesion,” Etta said Nigeria’s divisions were undermining national cohesion and contributing to recurring conflicts.

“Especially in a place like Nigeria, we have seen that our dichotomy has always been religious. The North, Far North, core North, Muslims; South here, Christians. And there’s always that conflict, almost every time,” she stated.

Linking the divisions to Nigeria’s international image, Etta, who is also the Director of Academic Planning at the university, said the country was being subjected to increased international scrutiny because of religious insecurity.

“Even right now internationally, we are being put in, like, country of particular concern because of religious insecurities,” she said.

She described religion as a force intended “to bring peace, to bring togetherness,” but lamented that the opposite was occurring in many communities.

Etta framed her lecture as “an intellectual journey from the origin of life to the society as it is now,” examining the connections between science, education, politics and religion.

She stressed that just as DNA requires unbroken chains, society also needs sustained bonds to function effectively.

“We are supposed to, like, bring all the missing links together and find a way to coexist. Not just Christians or Muslims, but any religion, to foster peace in the country, in our societies,” she maintained.

On education, Etta drew a parallel between genes and the transfer of knowledge.

“Just like genetics has to do with transfer of genes from parents to offspring, educational linkage has to do with transfer of knowledge from the mentor to the mentee, and that perpetuates the generation of intellectuals. If there’s a missing link in that transfer, there’s going to be chaos,” she said.

While calling for balance and stronger community support, the academic said individuals also had a responsibility to maintain healthy relationships across different aspects of their lives.

“The onus is on us, as parents, to make sure we find balance in our career, our family, and everything. And a good support system really helps,” she said.