The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has registered the Atheist Society of Nigeria as a corporate body.
The registration was done on March 10, 2017, and signed by the Registrar General, Bello Mahmud.
In a post on its Facebook page, the organisation expressed gladness that it is finally being recognised after years of rejection.
Speaking on the registration the group said it was a welcome development which will provide a voice for non-theists in the country.
“The incorporation of the Atheist Society of Nigeria is a welcome development and a signal for hope, freedom and positive change. This promised change is evident in two of the organisation’s objectives. First, “To provide a voice for freethinking individuals and societies in Nigeria”, and then “to promote rational, critical and scientific thinking”. The atheist society is set to provide a counter-narrative to pervasive atheism, mysticism and supernaturalism, and to help fast-track an intellectual awakening in the country.
“The registration of this society will provide a strong voice to nontheistic Nigerians. It will give atheists a legal platform to campaign against superstition and religious extremism. It will also provide them a legal platform to promote the human rights of non-theists and ensure equality for all persons before the law despite their belief in God or lack thereof. The incorporation of atheism will further help correct the long-held notion that there are no atheists in Nigeria and that the country is populated by theists-Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists. In fact, the registration of this atheist society will embolden more non-theistic people across the country to come out of their closet and facilitate a significant shift in the bloated religious/theistic demography of Nigeria. A Nigerian atheist hinted at this benefit in a comment that was posted on Facebook. He said, “I know that we are much more numerous than statistics show. Our numbers would swell if it weren’t for agnostics and atheists living in fear for their jobs and lives and fear of being abandoned by their friends and family”.
This is the CAC registration document below:
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