Stakeholders Advocate Peaceful Coexistence In Niger

In commemoration of the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence, Global Peace Foundation has advocated tolerance, at a peace forum in Minna.

At the forum yesterday, stakeholders identified  inclusion as necessary for  peaceful coexistence and also urged the people to always work towards achieving it.

All the speakers focused on promoting tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity  at the forum that took place at the  Women Multi-Purpose Centre, Minna.

The stakeholders were  faith leaders, traditional rulers, government officials, security agencies, women ,  youth groups, civil society organisations and members of the media from across the state.

The  Country Director of Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, described the gathering as a collective affirmation that Nigerians remain “one family under God” despite differences in faith, ethnicity and culture”.

Hayab, who is also the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, said the celebration was a strong statement of belief in dialogue, unity and shared humanity, even in the face of insecurity, mistrust and social division.

According to him, peaceful coexistence was  deeply rooted in Nigeria’s cultural values and faith traditions.

He stressed that diversity should enrich society rather than divide it, as communities share common aspirations for safety, dignity and development.

Hayab said promoting tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity requires courage to challenge narratives of fear, suspicion and exclusion that have weakened trust and fueled violence in many communities.

He emphasised that peace was never  passive, as it required deliberate effort from faith leaders, traditional rulers, women, youths and government institutions.

Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago  represented by the Commissioner for Homeland Security, Maurice Magaji, said the administration was adopting both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to promote peaceful coexistence.

Magaji said the government believes in engaging religious leaders, opinion leaders and community heads to strengthen dialogue, noting that humanity did not choose religion, skin colour, language or place of birth, which reflects God’s intention for coexistence.