More than 50 Muslim and Christian leaders in Nigeria have signed a peace accord aimed at reducing religious tensions and strengthening cooperation between the country’s two largest faith communities.
The agreement was signed in Abuja on Wednesday during a two-day conference organised by the Muslim World League, a Saudi Arabia-based Islamic non-governmental organisation. The initiative also established a new body tasked with promoting interfaith dialogue and religious harmony across Nigeria.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has more than 200 million people and is broadly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, alongside communities practising traditional religions.
Religious tensions in the country attracted renewed international attention last November after U.S. President Donald Trump described Nigeria as a “disgraced country” and threatened possible military action over what he said was the persecution of Christians by Islamist militants.
Nigeria has faced more than 15 years of violence from armed groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, particularly in the predominantly Muslim northeast. Thousands of civilians have been killed during the insurgency.
Christians have been among the victims, although analysts and rights groups have said Muslims account for the majority of those killed in attacks carried out by Islamist militants.
Trump’s comments were not mentioned in official statements surrounding Wednesday’s accord. However, Nigerian authorities and religious organisations have stepped up efforts to demonstrate progress in tackling insecurity and communal tensions since the remarks.
Muslim World League Secretary-General Mohammad Al-Issa said there was strong support among both communities for beginning a new chapter in relations.
“We do not deny that extremist ideas have harmed everyone; all have been affected by it,” Al-Issa said.
Christian and Muslim representatives described the agreement as an important step towards curbing inflammatory rhetoric and encouraging greater cooperation between religious communities.
John Praise Daniel, chairman of the Northern Christian Religious Leaders’ Assembly, said religious leaders should avoid language that fuels division.
“No hate speech, and no disrespect for other religious groups, no calling of people as infidels,” he said.
Khalid Abubakar, secretary-general of Jama’atu Nasri Islam, stressed that the initiative did not seek to weaken religious identities.
“It is not a call to leave your own religion, but a cooperation of working together in harmony,” he said.
Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin represented President Bola Tinubu at the ceremony, which was also attended by governors from three northern states.
Jibrin said the government remained committed to preserving national unity despite religious and other differences.
“The government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences, whatever the differences may be,” he said.
The accord comes as Nigeria approaches its January 2027 election, when religion is expected once again to play a significant role in national politics.
Tinubu’s ruling All Progressives Congress is contesting the election with another Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, continuing the arrangement it used in 2023 and departing from Nigeria’s long-standing political convention of balancing presidential candidates between the country’s two main faiths.