Abuja: 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 at the First Tri-annual Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), themed: ‘Religious Literacy for National Cohesion.’
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Akume described religious literacy as a civic necessity, noting 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. Akume emphasized that national cohesion should be built on justice, dignity, and mutual respect rather than suspicion, coercion, or exclusion.
Akume clarified that the government’s task is not to politicise religion but to strengthen citizenship. He highlighted the need to improve teacher preparation and learning materials, even though religious studies are already part of the school curriculum. 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 that the Federal Government would support traditional and religious institutions to ensure 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. He noted that tensions often framed along religious lines have social, economic, or political root causes.
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 dismissed fears of religious dominance, stating that Muslims in Nigeria were not planning to dismantle the Christian population. He underscored the importance of living together in peace, respect, and understanding.
Delivering a keynote paper, Prof. Ukertor Moti from the University of Abuja warned that leadership without learning is dangerous. He highlighted how selective readings of sacred texts by untrained clerics often inflame passions. Moti recommended that NIREC establish a ‘National Framework for Religious Literacy and Responsible Clergy Practice’ and proposed a voluntary certification system for Clerics to curb hate speech.