By Jumoke Olaitan/Philomina Attah
The Federal Government has urged the integration of religious literacy into education and civic systems to counter political manipulation, reduce conflict and promote unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja at the First Tri-annual Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), themed: “Religious Literacy for National Cohesion.’’
Akume, who described religious literacy as a civic necessity, noted that the weaponisation of identity and the existence of stereotypes continue to fuel conflicts across the country.
He stressed that the integration of religious literacy into Nigeria’s civic and educational frameworks would shield citizens from political manipulation and identity-based violence.
“National cohesion cannot be built on suspicion, coercion, or exclusion; rather, it should be built on justice, dignity, and mutual respect,” Akume said.
He clarified that the government’s task is not to “politicise religion” but to strengthen citizenship, adding that, while religious studies are already in the school curriculum, the focus must shift to improving teacher preparation and learning materials.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, Akume reminded NIREC of its moral responsibility to strengthen grassroots mobilisation and warned against the manipulation of communities during the electoral cycle.
He assured the council that the Federal Government had put machinery in place to support traditional and religious institutions in ensuring safety before, during, and after the polls.
The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, also identified religious literacy as a critical tool for dismantling stereotypes and ending the manipulation of faith for divisive purposes.
Okoh, the Co-Chair of NIREC, defined religious literacy as the ability to engage constructively across differences and resist divisive narratives.
“Across various parts of our nation, we continue to witness tensions framed along religious lines, even when their root causes are social, economic, or political,” Okoh noted.
In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged Nigerians to stop attributing criminal acts to religion, stressing that “terrorists and bandits are criminals” regardless of their names or claims.
The Sultan also dismissed fears of religious dominance, stating that Muslims in Nigeria were not planning to dismantle the Christian population.
“As Allah decided to bring us together, He knows why He brought us together.
“We believe we must live together in an environment of peace, respect, and understanding,” the Sultan said.
Delivering a keynote paper, Prof. Ukertor Moti, a lecturer with the University of Abuja warned that “leadership without learning is dangerous,” highlighting how selective readings of sacred texts by untrained clerics often inflame passions.
Moti recommended that NIREC should establish a “National Framework for Religious Literacy and Responsible Clergy Practice.
He also proposed a voluntary certification system for Clerics to curb hate speech.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Fr. Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, emphasised that true literacy should emancipate the mind from “ancestral vengeance’’.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi/Rotimi Ijikanmi
