1 hour ago
1
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Daniel Okoh, has described religious literacy as an essential tool for national cohesion, especially in a diverse country like Nigeria.
Okoh, who co-chairs the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), spoke on Wednesday alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume. The statement came at the first Triennial Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja. He said Nigeria’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversity should be seen as a source of strength rather than division.
According to him, “Religious literacy is not merely the academic understanding of doctrines or rituals. It is the cultivation of awareness, sensitivity and respect for the beliefs and practices of others.”
He opined that misunderstanding and manipulation of religion often fuel division, conflict and mistrust, stressing the need to mainstream religious literacy into schools, public discourse and community engagements to counter misinformation, hate speech and divisive rhetoric.
According to Okoh, places of worship must become centres of enlightenment, where messages of peace, unity and responsible citizenship are consistently emphasised. He called for stronger collaboration among faith communities, civil society groups and the media to promote peaceful coexistence and national unity.
He noted that NIREC had, over the years, served as an important platform for dialogue, conflict resolution and mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims, saying that they have demonstrated that despite their religious differences, they share common values of peace, justice, dignity of human life and the well-being of the nation.
The CAN president reaffirmed the commitment of the Christian body to working with Muslims and other stakeholders to build a nation where all citizens feel safe, valued and respected regardless of their faith.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, however, dismissed claims of planned Islamisation of Nigeria, saying that Muslims were not planning to decimate the Christian population in the country.
According to him, much of the violence often described as religious is being misunderstood, deepening suspicion and mistrust.
The Sultan said, “Today, as I stand here, I want to affirm that Muslims are not in a hurry and are not planning anything like decimating the population of Christians in Nigeria. We are not in any position whatsoever to remove Christians from Nigeria. No, it is not possible.”
Religious literacy essential for national cohesion – CAN President, Okoh
