Peace, stability and security are the essential preconditions for development anywhere. Africa have been grappling with myriads of security challenges in its quest to rescue the inhabitants of the continent from doldrums of insecurity and underdevelopment which stunted growth and development. Achieving sustainable development is the core concept for the post 2015 development agenda that provides an integrated response to the complex security, environmental, societal, economic and governance challenges that directly and disproportionately affect people. Security is vital for sustainable development across Africa, the fundamental challenge of managing or ending conflict(s) remains; and with it comes the challenge of creating or sustaining secure environments and using security as an enabler for development. The nexus between sustainable development, on the one hand, and peace, stability, and security on the other is not a new concept. The increasing proliferations of crime rates, jihadist groups in Africa has been catastrophic since the departure of Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, armed conflicts in Mali, Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria has changed the bearing of development agenda compass in the continent, destroying social infrastructures and uprooting people from their social locations hence creating another dire humanitarian crises: refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), malnutrition, food crises and migrants risking their lives in the Mediterranean sea in an attempt to seek for where pasture is greener in Europe, Asia and America. Activities of sea pirates in the Gulf of Guinea and militants in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has grossly undermine sustainable development. The emergence of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and their activities of blowing oil pipeline has not only grounded the Nigerian economy which has been glaring in the inability of most State Governments in Nigeria to pay workers’ salaries, and gas spillage has been aggravating the already damaged ecosystem hence putting all development projects almost impossible let alone to sustain them.
<p>The researchers were motivated by the adoption of digital communication applications and social media platforms by some Islamic scholars in Nigeria to conduct annual Tafsir of the glorious Qur’an in Ramadan 2020 in the midst of coronavirus lockdown. The paper adopted Lull’s Gratification Theory for theoretical explanation of virtual interaction between the scholars who conducted the Tafsir from an isolated places and the audience who watched or listened from their homes in adherence to safety measures to stop the spread of the disease. Methodologically, the study adopted a cross-sectional research design and purposive sampling technique to elicit secondary data from the target participants. The study found that there is usage of digital medium of communication and interaction between Islamic clerics and their followers. This explains the flexibility of Islam to embrace development, adopt and adapt it in conformity with Islamic rules and regulations. The findings also show that Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram are the most common internet based interactive platforms which Islamic scholars explored and disseminated their Tafsir virtual to the audience. The paper concludes that internet has enabled people not only to interact virtual but Tafsir and other forms of Islamic preaching can be conducted without co-presence of the preachers and the audience. The option of live streaming video on Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram which consume a lot amount of data has enabled Muslim users to followed the Ramadan Tafsir from distant places.</p><p><em><br /></em></p>
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