Author(s):
Raheem Oluwafunminiyi and Giwa Tajudeen Olalekan, creativitysells@gmail.com,

Abstract: Across the world today, subjects dealing with inter-religious relations continue to elicit scholarly debates. A reason for this is linked to the often intense rivalries or tensions among disparate religious groups over, for instance, the (re)affirmation of religious boundaries or the right to use the hijab in secular or missionary schools within a contentious spatiality. While these have more or less spurred serious confrontations in several communities in Nigeria, instances abound where religious encounters assume affirmative manifestations elsewhere. FESTAC-Town, one of the popular post-independence urban settlements in Lagos, with a large mix of Muslims and Christians, readily satisfy this latter position. Since her founding in 1977, religious interactions in this part of Lagos is not only fluid but manifests a high level of tolerance. Some of the underlying factors responsible for this include the elitist makeup of the town, absence of indigene-settler rights, urbanisation, existence of conflict resolution mechanisms etc. Using extensive oral and secondary sources, this study examines everyday religious encounters in FESTAC community. It also identifies the nature of Muslim-Christians coexistence and the factors facilitating the peaceful conduct of these relations. The study reveals that inter-faith harmony is a fundamental component that reinforces the town’s desire for good neighbourliness.