Over 50 Muslim and Christian leaders signed an interfaith peace agreement in Abuja, launching the activities of a new body to promote religious harmony across Nigeria.
The population of Nigeria, which exceeds 200 million people, is roughly evenly divided between the predominantly Muslim north and the largely Christian south, while other groups practice traditional religions.
Religious tensions and Trump’s statements
Attention to the religious divide intensified in November last year when U.S. President Donald Trump called Nigeria a “disgraced country” and threatened military action over what he said was the persecution of Christians by “Islamic terrorists.” Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province have been perpetrating violence in the country for over 15 years, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people. However, their attacks have largely been concentrated in the northeast of the country, where the Muslim population predominates. Although Christians are among the victims, analysts and human rights organizations note that the vast majority of those killed in these attacks are Muslims.
Official statements regarding the agreement signed on Wednesday at a conference organized by the Muslim World League — an Islamic non-governmental organization headquartered in Saudi Arabia — did not mention Trump’s comments. Meanwhile, the Nigerian government and other organizations have sought to demonstrate progress in ensuring security following his remarks.
Call for unity and a new chapter
Secretary-General of the Muslim World League Mohammad Al-Issa stated that representatives of both faiths seek to “turn a new page.” “We do not deny that extremist ideas have harmed everyone; all have suffered from them,” he said. Christian and Muslim leaders in Nigeria called the agreement a turning point.
John Price Daniel, head of the Assembly of Christian Religious Leaders of the North, expressed hope that the agreement would help curb divisive rhetoric from clergy. “No language of hostility, no disrespect for other religious groups, no labeling of people as infidels,” he noted. Khalid Abubakar, Secretary-General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, stated: “This is not a call to abandon one’s religion, but a call for cooperation and working together in harmony.”
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin represented President Bola Tinubu at the signing ceremony. Also present were three governors of northern states. Jibrin stated on the opening day of the two-day event: “The government is determined to ensure our unity as a country, despite our differences, whatever they may be.”
The agreement was signed ahead of the January 2027 elections, when religion will again be an important factor in Nigerian politics. President Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress party is fielding the same presidential ticket with two Muslims as in 2023, breaking Nigeria’s long-standing practice of forming presidential election pairs with representatives of the country’s two main faiths.
