Christian and Muslim leaders unveil framework urging clerics, journalists, community leaders and public institutions to reject inflammatory rhetoric, saying peace cannot be secured through dialogue alone but by changing the language that often precedes violence.

By Abdullahi Yusuf

Nigeria’s leading Christian and Muslim umbrella bodies have jointly endorsed a new Interfaith Code of Conduct aimed at curbing hate speech, preventing religious and political violence, and strengthening peaceful coexistence, describing the initiative as a practical framework for addressing one of the country’s most persistent drivers of conflict ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Code was formally launched during the Abuja Peace Conference, held as part of the 8th General Assembly of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), where religious leaders, diplomats, government officials, peacebuilding experts, civil society organisations and development partners argued that preventing violence requires more than appeals for tolerance; it demands agreed standards capable of influencing how leaders speak, preach and engage the public.

Convened by the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), with support from the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID), the conference was held under the theme: “Hate Speech and Violence: The Role of State and Non-State Actors in Nation Building.”

The Code also places significant responsibilities on journalists and media organisations, urging them to avoid stereotypes, sensationalism and language capable of inflaming religious tensions while promoting balanced, accurate and conflict-sensitive reporting.

For organisers, however, the significance of the gathering extended well beyond another interfaith conference.

They described the Interfaith Code of Conduct (ICoC) as the product of years of consultation between Christian and Muslim leaders across Nigeria, developed to provide practical ethical guidance aimed at preventing conflict before it escalates into violence.

Unlike previous declarations encouraging peaceful coexistence, the Code establishes a shared values-based framework intended to shape how religious leaders conduct sermons, respond to crises, engage the media, communicate with followers and relate with people of different faiths.

Beyond religious institutions, the Code also seeks to influence wider public discourse by providing ethical guidance for journalists, civil society organisations, educators, traditional institutions and government agencies whose communication can either calm tensions or inflame them.

The document outlines ten guiding principles for interfaith engagement, including mutual love and respect, protection of the sacred, respect for human dignity, prevention of hate speech and blasphemy, peaceful conflict resolution, justice, integrity and ethical conduct, transparency and accountability, respect for lawful authority, and compassion and empathy.

According to the organisers, those principles are intended to move beyond conference resolutions and become practical standards for everyday religious and civic engagement.

The Co-Chairmen of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace, Rev. Abainatus Akila Hamman and Ameer Muhammad Jameel Muhammad, said religious and community leaders must increasingly become the first line of response whenever tensions emerge within communities.

They urged Christian and Muslim leaders to reject inflammatory rhetoric capable of deepening religious, ethnic or political divisions, arguing that dialogue should become the primary instrument for preventing conflict rather than a response after violence has already occurred.

In a communiqué issued after the conference, the organisers also called on governments, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to embrace the Code as a shared national framework for strengthening peaceful coexistence and social cohesion.

Participants agreed that hate speech continues to undermine democratic development, weaken public trust and increase the risk of communal violence, particularly during politically sensitive periods.

For that reason, they argued that the Code should be actively integrated into sermons, community dialogue, youth and women’s initiatives, peace education programmes, media engagement and other public communication platforms rather than remaining a symbolic declaration.

The organisers further recommended widespread dissemination of the document across churches, mosques, schools, traditional institutions, media organisations and relevant government agencies, accompanied by continuous training and community-level implementation.

They said responsible journalism would be central to preventing misinformation and narratives capable of fuelling violence within fragile communities.

Speaking on behalf of KAICIID, Acting Secretary-General Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro described the launch as an important milestone in the organisation’s long-standing partnership with Nigerian religious leaders.

He said KAICIID had accompanied the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace since its establishment, describing the new Code as evidence that dialogue can produce practical tools for addressing complex national challenges.

“For us at KAICIID, this moment is deeply meaningful,” Ribeiro said. “This Code speaks to the heart of our shared humanity. It reminds us that every person carries dignity.”

Organisers said the document was developed through a Nigerian-led process over several years, reflecting extensive consultations between Christian and Muslim leaders and drawing on shared ethical values recognised across both faith traditions.

They argued that while religion is frequently manipulated to fuel division, it also possesses enormous potential to build trust, reconciliation and national unity when exercised responsibly.

Throughout the conference, speakers repeatedly returned to a common concern: that Nigeria’s approach to peacebuilding must move beyond reacting to violence after it occurs and instead focus on preventing the rhetoric that often precedes it.

They noted that election seasons have historically witnessed heightened political manipulation of ethnic and religious identities, making responsible communication increasingly important as preparations gradually begin for the 2027 general elections.

Participants therefore stressed that religious leaders should view themselves not merely as spiritual authorities but also as custodians of public peace whose words can either calm communities or inflame them.

They similarly urged political actors to distinguish legitimate campaign messaging from inflammatory rhetoric capable of encouraging hostility or violence.

For organisers, the success of the Interfaith Code of Conduct will ultimately depend less on its formal unveiling than on whether churches, mosques, schools, newsrooms, community organisations and public institutions adopt its principles in practice.

They expressed hope that the Code would become a living reference for religious leadership, public communication and conflict prevention across Nigeria, helping to shape sermons, civic engagement and media reporting long after the conference has ended.

As political activities gradually gather momentum towards another election cycle, participants said the greatest measure of the initiative’s success will not be the number of copies distributed but whether fewer communities experience the violence, division and mistrust that inflammatory words have too often left behind.