A newly inaugurated elders’ platform has launched a strategic interfaith reconciliation initiative, declaring that Muslims and Christians in northern Nigeria must reclaim their shared history of peaceful coexistence and jointly reject narratives of permanent division.
The move comes after the United States designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) on October 31, 2025 over religious freedom issues, a development many stakeholders in the region believe reinforces damaging global perceptions about religious persecution and sectarian hostility in the country.
Leaders of the new reconciliation platform say their outreach is intended not only to foster genuine healing at home, but also to demonstrate that Nigerians are capable of resolving their differences without external arbitration.
A delegation in December 2025, led by an Elder Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Professor Yusuf Usman, former executive secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in Kaduna North West region, was part of what participants described as a deliberate and symbolic first step toward rebuilding trust.
“Peacebuilding Will Be Made by Nigerians”
Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed explained that the group was formed after deep reflection about the state of the nation and the cost of religious division.
“This is a visit that was designed consciously. We want the world to know,” he said. “We express our solidarity with our Christian community. We bring you messages of peace and faith that God will bless our intention.”
He challenged interpretations of faith that justify hostility, adding that the group had come to visit because Nigerians had paid “too much a price” for those who identified Muslims and Christians as enemies. Acknowledging past grievances, he stressed accountability, and for both groups to understand how they had wronged and offended each other.
He identified justice as central to lasting peace. “It is possible to have justice in this country, because justice is the foundation of our faith. Justice is the foundation of peace,” he said
Responding indirectly to international scrutiny following the CPC designation, Dr. Ahmed maintained that reconciliation must be locally driven. “We have friends outside this country. They have a right to tell us what they did. But peacebuilding in Nigeria will be made by Nigerians. We are the ones who live here.”
He added, “We can fight until the end of the world, Muslims will never finish Christians, and Christians will never finish Muslims. But we can live in peace”.
“We Cannot Fight for God”
Receiving the delegation at the Northern CAN office, the 19 Northern States Chairman of CAN, Reverend Joseph John Hayab, who also serves as the vice chairman of the reconciliation group, spoke candidly about the roots of mistrust and the urgent need to correct distorted narratives.
“Unfortunately, people tend to magnify the few bad policies of a minority and downplay the many good policies of the majority,” Hayab said, firmly rejecting the notion that believers must defend God through violence.
Reverend Hayab added, “When I start fighting for God, it is as if I am projecting God in a bad light. Instead of fighting, we should use our energy to give our faith a good name and to give our religion a good name.”
He emphasized that ordinary Nigerians across faiths share daily life peacefully. He stressed that common Christians and Muslims had no business fighting each other whether in fields or markets, describing recent religious hostility in the country as a product of “selfishness, ignorance, and the manipulation of some enemies.”
Describing the visit as significant, Hayab highlighted the universal message of love, saying on behalf of Christians in northern Nigeria, he pledged commitment to the reconciliation process.
“We accept this call for peace and reconciliation, and we will reciprocate it. We will tell the world that although there has been fighting and misunderstanding in northern Nigeria, a new voice is rising to say, ‘Enough is enough,’ and we will resolve it.”
He stressed that the initiative is inclusive and not adversarial, noting that it includes the Northern Elders’ forum, JNI, the Christian Association, and many others, coming together to reconcile.
Hayab acknowledged that genuine reconciliation requires humility. “Because true reconciliation requires the acknowledgement of wrongdoing, we must admit that, yes, we went wrong,” he said.
Recalling past peace efforts, he noted that after crises in 2000 and 2002 between Muslims and Christians in Kaduna state over religious tensions, deliberate reconciliation steps led to nearly a decade of stability.
“We Have a Legacy”
At the headquarters of JNI, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, Secretary-General of the organization under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar described the engagement as a restoration of historical norms rather than a new experiment.
“I think we have this legacy,” he said. “It was a kind of digression of the already established protocol of brotherhood, love, care, understanding and support between the people of the North.”
He pointed to earlier generations of leaders who treated interfaith issues as collective regional concerns, saying this was the only way to restore peace.
Aliyu also warned against superficial solutions. “We should be far away from sugar-coated speeches. Yes, we should be truthful. Because one day, even before we stand before our Lord for judgment, posterity will curse us.”
Sharing his personal experience, he said, “I attended Mission School in Jos, Plateau State North Central Nigeria over 40 years ago, and this has not in any way taken away my religion. So you can see we can make it.”
Mediation Centre Calls for Sustained, Continuous Efforts to Rebuild Trust
Samson Auta of the Interfaith Mediation Centre emphasized that such engagement offers a strong counter-narrative to claims that Nigeria is irreparably divided along religious lines.
Describing the visit as timely, he said it goes beyond addressing misinformation by actively constructing a new reality where religious tolerance is treated as a strategic necessity for regional development and national unity.
He called for sustained, continuous efforts to rebuild trust and ensure peace initiatives extend beyond politics for the common good.
Keywords: Nigeria, Muslim, Christian, interfaith, Islam, Christianity, peace, conflict, conflict resolution, northern Nigeria, CPC, Nigerian
Mohammed Ibrahim
Mohammed is a multimedia freelance journalist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He graduated from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja. In 2016 Mohammed received the Courage in Journalism Award for his investigative reporting, from the Africa Media Development Foundation.
