Leaders of faith across Nigeria have entered into a peace agreement seen at deepening interfaith narratives ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The peace agreement signed by over 50 Muslim and Christian leaders is a launchpad for a new body expected to promote religious harmony across Nigeria.
‘No hate speech, and no disrespect for other religious groups, no calling of people as infidels,’ John Praise Daniel, chairman, Northern Christian Religious Leaders’ Assembly, stated.
The former deputy national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), stated that he hoped the new initiative would curb divisive rhetoric by clerics.
The peace accord is coming months to the 2027 general elections on the back of the recent rhetoric by some religious leaders seen at playing up sentiments that tend to promote one faith above others.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is running on the same Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket that it fielded in 2023, which many considered anti Nigeria’s long-standing practice of balancing presidential tickets between the country’s two main faiths.
In November 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump called Nigeria a ‘disgraced country’ following a heightened religious divide and threatened military action over persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Islamist insurgents such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in the ?country for more than 15 years, killing thousands of people, but their attacks have been largely confined to the majority Muslim northeast.
While Christians have been killed, observers believe a vast majority of the victims have been Muslims.
Mohammad Al-Issa, Secretary-General, Muslim World League stated that there is a growing understanding among leaders of faith to promote peace by turning a new page.
‘We do not deny ?extremist ideas have harmed everyone; all have been affected by it.’
Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President, represented President Bola Tinubu at the signing ceremony, with three northern state governors also in attendance.
‘The government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences, whatever the differences may be,’ Jibrin ?sttaed on the opening day of the two-day event.
Khalid Abubakar, ?secretary-general of Jama’atu Nasri Islam, said: ‘It is not a call to leave your own religion, but a cooperation of working together in harmony.’