Sultan, CAN President Rally Nigerians Against Hate Speech, Back Interfaith Code For Peace

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Most Rev. Dr Daniel Okoh, have called on Nigerians to reject hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric and violence, urging citizens to embrace dialogue as a pathway to lasting peace and national unity.

The two religious leaders made the call in Abuja during the Peace Conference organised as part of the 8th General Assembly of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), where Christian and Muslim leaders formally unveiled the Interfaith Code of Conduct (ICoC).

The conference, held under the theme “Hate Speech and Violence: The Role of State and Non-State Actors in Nation-Building”, brought together religious leaders, government representatives, peacebuilding practitioners, civil society organisations, journalists, as well as women and youth representatives from communities across the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the co-chairmen of the IDFP, Rev. Abainatus Akila Hamman and Ameer Muhammad Jameel Muhammad, said the newly developed Code provides a shared, values-based framework for addressing hate speech, promoting responsible religious leadership and strengthening peaceful coexistence between Nigeria’s diverse faith communities.

They said the initiative responds to the urgent need for state and non-state actors to confront hate speech and violence, which they described as serious threats to peace, national cohesion and sustainable development.

According to them, the Code was developed through a Nigerian-led interfaith process in collaboration with the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) and provides practical guidance for Christian and Muslim leaders in managing tensions and preventing conflicts.

The ICoC identifies 10 core values for Christian-Muslim engagement: mutual love and respect; protection of the sacred; human dignity; prevention of hate speech and blasphemy; peaceful conflict resolution; justice; integrity and ethical conduct; transparency and accountability; respect for lawful authority; and compassion and empathy.

The co-chairmen said the Code would serve as a practical reference for religious and community leaders seeking to de-escalate tensions, reject inflammatory language, protect sacred spaces and make dialogue the first response to conflict.

They added that the conference would strengthen the collective commitment of state and non-state actors to combat hate speech and violence while developing a multi-stakeholder action plan for integrating the Code into community engagement, public discourse, peacebuilding initiatives and relevant institutional processes.

Also speaking at the event, the Acting Secretary-General of KAICIID, Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro, said the Code reinforced the importance of recognising the dignity and humanity shared by all Nigerians.

He said the initiative reflected the courage required to engage across religious and social divides, noting that KAICIID had supported the IDFP since its establishment in 2015.

The ambassador said the organisation had been privileged to accompany Nigerian religious leaders in their efforts to strengthen interfaith dialogue and promote peaceful coexistence.

The Interfaith Code of Conduct was formally unveiled during the two-day General Assembly of the IDFP in Abuja.

Participants resolved to promote the Code across churches, mosques, schools, media organisations and communities nationwide as part of broader efforts to curb hate speech, prevent violence and strengthen national cohesion.

They also called for sustained cooperation among religious leaders, government institutions, civil society organisations, the media, women and youth groups and other stakeholders to ensure that interfaith dialogue becomes an integral component of Nigeria’s peacebuilding and nation-building efforts.

The conference further emphasised the need for religious and community leaders to use their influence responsibly, particularly in an era of rapid information dissemination, where inflammatory messages can quickly escalate tensions and deepen divisions.

The IDFP urged stakeholders to move beyond declarations and translate the principles contained in the Interfaith Code of Conduct into concrete action at community and institutional levels.

The initiative, participants said, represents a renewed commitment by Nigeria’s Christian and Muslim communities to work together in promoting mutual respect, peaceful conflict resolution and a more cohesive society.