President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for stronger national and international cooperation to address emerging security threats confronting Nigeria and other parts of the world.
Tinubu said Nigeria was facing “multifaceted” security challenges that required coordinated and sustainable responses from governments, international organisations, religious leaders and other stakeholders.
The President spoke in Abuja at an international security conference organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS Nigeria) in partnership with the Muslim World League of Saudi Arabia.
The conference, themed “Diversity and Social Peace: Partnership for a Promising Future,” brought together Muslim and Christian leaders, scholars and representatives from Saudi Arabia and other African countries.
Represented at the event by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working with other countries and international organisations to strengthen Nigeria’s security and contribute to global peace.
“Working within the Committee of Nations, [the government is] collaborating every day to ensure that security remains not only in our country but in the entire globe,” he said.
The President said the conference was particularly important given the evolving nature of security threats, including challenges to national and digital security.
He urged participants to develop practical recommendations that could complement ongoing government efforts to tackle insecurity.
Tinubu also called on Nigerians to preserve national unity and peaceful coexistence despite their religious, ethnic and cultural differences.
The President commended the Muslim World League for choosing Nigeria as the venue for the conference and assured participants of the Federal Government’s support for initiatives aimed at promoting peace and security.
Meanwhile, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, urged religious leaders to make churches and mosques centres of peace, tolerance and human dignity.
Yilwatda said religion should be used to promote peaceful coexistence rather than hatred and division, urging clerics to leverage their influence to strengthen relationships among Nigerians of different faiths.
“Let us preach faith without hatred, conviction without contempt, and truth without incitement,” he said.
The APC chairman stressed that genuine religious faith should compel believers to protect the lives, dignity and freedom of people from other religious backgrounds.
Yilwatda recalled his childhood in Yola, Adamawa State, where his father, a pastor, maintained a close friendship with a Muslim leader. He said the relationship between the two families demonstrated that religious differences should not prevent peaceful coexistence.
However, he recalled that his family later lost their home and possessions during communal violence in Bauchi, describing the experience as a painful reminder of the consequences of violence driven by religious and ethnic divisions.
“We may worship differently, but we suffer together. We dream together. We can build together, and ultimately, we can rise and fall together,” he said.
Yilwatda also cautioned political leaders against exploiting religion and ethnicity for political gain, while urging traditional rulers to promote dialogue and reduce suspicion among communities.
He further advised Nigerians to exercise caution when sharing information capable of deepening religious and ethnic tensions, particularly claims that could inflame divisions.
The APC chairman said Nigeria must strive to build a society where future generations inherit schools, homes and opportunities rather than displacement camps and memories of violence.
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