Abstract: Islamophobia has received substantial scholarly attention in Europe and North America, while empirical research of its drivers in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study examines perceptions of the drivers of Islamophobia and its motivating factors in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Nigeria. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study combined questionnaire responses from 542 residents, selected through stratified random sampling across major administrative wards of AMAC, with semi-structured interviews involving 20 religious and interfaith experts. The survey findings show that 77.8% of respondents perceived Islamophobia in the study area as high. The most frequently reported perceived driver was the failure of prominent Muslim leaders to publicly condemn violence and terrorism (66.8%), followed by perceptions of intolerance among some Muslim youths (15.1%), “Islamisation” narratives (7.9%), negative media representations (6.3%), and the influence of poorly informed religious preachers (3.9%). The findings suggest that perceptions of Islamophobia in AMAC are shaped by security concerns, religious perceptions, media narratives, and socio-political anxieties. The article argues for sustainable interreligious engagement, responsible religious leadership, and improved public religious literacy as strategies for reducing Islamophobic attitudes. The study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from a Nigerian urban context.
Keywords: Islamophobia, Abuja, Nigeria, religious tolerance, Muslim-Christian relations
DOI: 10.36349/atij.2026.v02i01.008
author/Habeebullah Ibrahim
journal/Al-Takamul IJ 2(1) | July 2026 |
