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| The Sultan and Yilwatda |
At the opening of the international conference “Diversity and Social Peace: A Partnership for a Promising Future,” organised by the Muslim World League in Abuja, two national figures - Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto - called on Nigerians of all faiths to unite and foster inter-religious harmony.
Speaking separately at the event, both leaders stressed that religious differences should not divide the nation but instead be a foundation for unity and progress.
Professor Yilwatda emphasized that diversity - across faiths, ethnicities, languages, cultures, and traditions - is a defining feature of Nigeria and can become a source of national strength when properly embraced.
He urged citizens to move beyond narrow religious and ethnic identities and to recognise their shared humanity and common destiny.
“The fundamental question facing our country is not whether Christians and Muslims can live together,” he said, “but what kind of nation are we building by the way we live together?”
Drawing on personal experience, Yilwatda recounted growing up in Yobe State and later witnessing communal tensions in Plateau State. He recalled the close friendship between his late father, a pastor, and the Chief Imam of Nguru as an example of the everyday bonds that can bridge religious divides.
According to him, the relationship between the two religious leaders demonstrated that religious differences should never become barriers to friendship, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
He said: “Religious difference does not have to produce human distance. Indeed, our differences should not prevent us from recognising what we share. We may worship differently, but we share the same humanity. We may speak different languages, but we share the same hopes for our children. We may come from different communities, but we share one country and one future.”
Professor Yilwatda, however, warned that Nigeria’s diversity could become dangerous when citizens were encouraged to dehumanise people of other faiths or ethnic backgrounds.
He identified terrorism, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, communal violence, ethnic suspicion, religious intolerance, hate speech and the political manipulation of identity as major threats to national cohesion.
He noted that while terrorism could attempt to wear a religious identity, banditry could exploit ethnic narratives and political actors could seek to weaponise identity for electoral advantage, none of these should be allowed to define Nigeria or its people.
“The real battle is for the soul of our nation. And that battle cannot be won by security measures alone,” he said, adding that lasting peace required justice, education, responsible leadership, economic opportunity, dialogue and moral courage.
The APC National Chairman further called on religious leaders to deploy their enormous moral influence to promote tolerance and reconciliation, urging churches and mosques to become centres of peace and platforms for teaching citizens how to live together despite their differences.
He urged political leaders to resist the temptation to exploit religious and ethnic sentiments for political gain, while calling on traditional rulers to use their influence to make reconciliation stronger than retaliation, dialogue stronger than suspicion and justice stronger than vengeance.
Professor Yilwatda also challenged academics and civil society organisations to educate a new generation to see Nigeria’s diversity not as a threat, but as an asset capable of strengthening the country.
He proposed what he described as a “Nigerian Covenant for Coexistence” - a shared moral commitment by religious leaders, political leaders, traditional institutions, civil society and citizens to reject violence, hate speech, religious intolerance and the politicisation of identity.
Under such a covenant, he said Nigerians must commit to protecting places of worship, defending vulnerable communities and teaching children that those who worship differently are not their enemies.
He stressed that whenever any community was attacked, Nigerians should not first ask whether the victims belonged to their ethnic or religious group, but whether they were human beings deserving of protection.
“The future of Nigeria cannot be secured by one faith defeating another, or one ethnic group prevailing over another. There is no victory in destroying the house we all call home,” he declared.
The APC National Chairman urged Nigerians to choose dialogue over confrontation, reconciliation over revenge, justice over vengeance and humanity over identity.
He said Nigeria did not need less diversity but greater wisdom and leadership to manage its diversity, adding that the country must build a society where Christians and Muslims could defend one another, not because they shared the same faith, ethnicity or political affiliation, but because they shared the same humanity.
Responding to the National Chairman’s remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, commended Professor Yilwatda for what he described as a profound and comprehensive intervention on how Nigeria could resolve its differences and build a peaceful society.
The Sultan recalled that the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) was established by Christian and Muslim leaders as a platform for dialogue and interaction towards peaceful coexistence, rather than as a government creation.
He urged Nigerians to stop insulting and demonising one another, stressing that all human beings were created equal by God and that no individual or group was inherently superior to another.
According to the Sultan, one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria is the absence of honesty and trust among citizens.
“We lack honesty and trust. We don't trust ourselves, and that is where the problem is. Nobody is better than another person,” he said.
The Sultan expressed appreciation for the National Chairman’s emphasis on humanity, noting that the message represented a major pathway towards resolving Nigeria’s religious and social differences.
He commended the organisers of the conference for providing a platform for religious leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to engage in meaningful discussions on diversity, peace and global security.
Representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, said the Federal Government was committed to collaborating with governments and relevant stakeholders to strengthen security and promote peace within Nigeria and across the world.
Senator Barau reaffirmed the administration’s determination to preserve Nigeria’s unity despite its religious and ethnic diversity, stressing that the country must remain united and peaceful.
He urged participants to take advantage of the international platform to contribute to the ongoing global debate on peace and security, particularly at a time of increasing global security turbulence.
He commended the Muslim World League for choosing Nigeria as the host of the important international conference, expressing confidence that the deliberations would be robust and produce practical ideas capable of advancing global peace and security.
The conference brought together religious leaders, government officials, traditional rulers, members of the diplomatic community, academics, civil society actors and other stakeholders to deliberate on the management of diversity, inter-religious relations, social cohesion and the search for sustainable peace in Nigeria and beyond.
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