Abstract
Sustainable uses of environmental resources have become a major concern in the current global community. This is largely because of the current global environmental crisis caused by the devastating consequences of human activities in nature. The result of these activities has been the extinction of many biological species, some of which are on the verge of extinction. The consequence of this deteriorating environmental state is not felt only by endangered non-human organisms; human, the causative agent, feels the same too. Local communities have, through their religious affinity and historical experiences, sought measures for successfully living with the whole of nature without necessarily inflicting pain on it. Within Africa and other environmentally-based religions and cultures, natural beings are seen as emblems expressing the sacredness of nature. Consequently, this study explored the role of indigenous religion in promoting environmental sustainability in Abanyom, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria. A purposive sampling strategy was employed to assemble a total of fifteen (15) participants for the study. The selected participants comprised traditional leaders (n = 12), clan heads (n = 2), and chief priests (n = 1), originating from Abanyom's constituent clans—Abanyom (n = 8) and Abangork (n = 7). The research involved semi-structured face-to-face interviews and the data were analyzed thematically. Through the belief that God created and cares for the natural world; the belief that deities and ancestors inhabit certain forests and rivers and discourage the exploitation of these sacred spaces; and the belief that the natural beings constitute part of a complete and genuine human community, the research revealed that indigenous religion plays a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability in Abanyom communities. The implications of the findings for environmental sustainability, research, and policy in Cross River State, Nigeria, were discussed.