Sultan-led council says Nigeria’s two largest faith communities share responsibility for confronting insecurity, injustice, poverty and inequality

By Abdullahi Yusuf

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called for stronger Muslim-Christian cooperation to confront Nigeria’s mounting challenges, as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) marks its 50th anniversary.

In a congratulatory message signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, CON, FNAL, the NSCIA said CAN’s golden anniversary was significant not only for the Christian community but for Nigeria as a whole.

The Council, under the leadership of its President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, said religious leaders and institutions had an important role to play in promoting peace, dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s diverse faith communities.

It said Muslims and Christians, who together constitute the overwhelming majority of the Nigerian population, shared a responsibility to promote peace, entrench justice, advance security, encourage responsible citizenship and contribute to national development.

The Council identified injustice, insecurity, poverty, unemployment and social inequality, alongside the need for accountable and responsive governance, among the challenges requiring the collective efforts of Nigerians.

It said sustained interfaith dialogue and cooperation were therefore essential to addressing issues affecting the country’s peace, unity and development.

The NSCIA particularly acknowledged platforms that have enabled leaders of the two faith communities to engage constructively on national issues, including the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).

The Council said CAN’s 50th anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect on the responsibility of religious leadership in strengthening national unity and promoting peaceful coexistence.

It said religious differences should never be allowed to become sources of division, hatred or violence, but should instead inspire justice, compassion, peaceful coexistence and service to humanity.

The NSCIA congratulated CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh, the National Executive Committee, the various Christian denominations and associations under its umbrella, as well as Christians across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

It wished the association greater wisdom in the discharge of what it described as its “onerous national and sacred responsibilities.”