1. The term ‘sub-Saharan Africa’ is used in reference to the countries in Africa that are not part of North Africa, in other words, countries south of the Sahara. In the early eighth century, sub-Saharan West Africa was known by the Arabs who went to evangelise the region as Bilad as Sudan (‘The land of the Blacks’). Later, in the nineteenth century, the whole of sub-Saharan Africa was commonly referred to as ‘Black Africa’ or ‘the Dark continent’ by Westerners. This was to some extent due to the skin colour of the indigenes, and because much had not been fully discovered or investigated about Africa by Arabs and Westerners. These terms are viewed as derogatory and pejorative, and are further considered misleading because black Africans are also indigenous to much of North Africa. Westerners are not the only ones who are guilty of using the term. Today some Africans refer to the region as ‘Black Africa’ as well (Ikenga-Metuh 1987, ix). Sub-Saharan Africa, especially East Africa, has been suggested as the birthplace of the human race (Mbiti 1991, 2). There are evidences of early forms of human found in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya. There are forty-two countries in the sub-Saharan African mainland, and six island nations: Central Africa Democratic Republic of Congo; Republic of Congo; Central African Republic; Rwanda; Burundi. East Africa Kenya; Tanzania; Uganda; Djibouti; Eritrea; Ethiopia; Somalia (excluding Somaliland); Sudan. Southern Africa Angola; Botswana; Lesotho; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; South Africa; Swaziland; Zam-bia; Zimbabwe. West Africa Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Chad; Cote d’Ivore; Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; The Gambia; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Liberia; Mali; Mauritania; Niger; Nigeria; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Togo. African Island Nations Cape Verde and Sao Tome and Principe (West Africa); Comoros, Madagascar, and Mauritus (Southern Africa); Seychelles (East Africa). It should be noted that Mauritius is generally not considered to be a sub-Saharan African island because the ethnic makeup of the country is predominately East Indian, Chinese, and French.

2. In Nigeria, the cynical manipulation of religion by the federal government has led to a combative dimension in Christian-Muslim relations since the 1980s (see Olupona 1991, 9).

3. Although Christianity and Islam are the religious traditions to which most Africans have converted over the century, many of these converts are influenced by ATR in their religious thoughts and expressions. They tenaciously retain elements of their traditional religious origins.