The religious understanding of Nigerians affinity for Donald trump
Department of Religion, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 23(03), 1064–1077
Publication history:
Received on 26 July 2024; revised on 07 September 2024; accepted on 09 September 2024
Abstract:
President Trump has a tremendous fanbase from an unlikely place: Nigeria. To bring this to the fore, I compare the perception of Trump in Africa with that of immediate past American presidents of the last decade. He is fondly idealized as a strong man leader who upholds high moral standards, a defendant of the Christian faith, and a fulfillment of Biblical prophesies. I argue that Nigerian's fondness for Trump stems from these religious premises. I aver that although Trump’s policies at the time of his administration were seemingly unfavorable to African nations such as Nigeria, many of these nations hold him in high esteem. To understand this paradoxical affinity, I point to religious themes that resonate with many Nigerians' fundamentalist religious teachings. Such themes include Trump's policies on same-sex marriage, abortion, the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and his stance on religious terrorism, amongst others. My argument is premised on the notion that for many Nigerians, Trump's policies, which directly impacted the nation and African region, can be understood as God’s will and purpose, which is geared towards a positive end. It exemplifies the Christian idealistic fundamentalist positivist mindset and attitude.
Keywords:
Religion and politics in Africa; Religious idealization; Nigeria-American relationship; President Donald Trump
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