Abuja, Nigeria — As Christians celebrate Christmas and Nigerians prepare to enter a New Year amid persistent insecurity, the Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria (GIMP-Nigeria) has warned that the country cannot overcome its security challenges without deliberate, structured, and sustained interfaith collaboration with government at all levels.
The Guild condemned the continued spate of killings, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, and the manipulation of religious identities, describing them as grave threats to national unity, economic stability, and social cohesion.
GIMP-Nigeria lamented that places of worship, highways, farms, and entire communities have increasingly become unsafe, leaving citizens traumatised, fearful, and deeply divided.
According to the Guild, military and kinetic responses alone have proven insufficient, as Nigeria’s insecurity is driven not only by weapons but also by mistrust, misinformation, exclusion, and the abuse of religion for violent and political ends.
“Nigeria’s insecurity is not only a security failure; it is a trust failure,” said Mr. Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, Chairman of GIMP-Nigeria. He added that “interfaith collaboration is not symbolic; it is a frontline security strategy that government can no longer afford to ignore.”
The Guild stressed that structured interfaith synergy involving Muslim and Christian leaders, media professionals, and government institutions can significantly reduce violence by countering extremist narratives, promoting grassroots early-warning intelligence, mediating communal tensions, and discouraging hate speech.
GIMP-Nigeria called on the Federal, State, and Local Governments to institutionalise engagement with credible interfaith organisations, support faith-based peacebuilding and counter-narrative initiatives, and integrate faith-sensitive approaches into national security planning.
A government that sidelines faith actors in a deeply religious and diverse society like Nigeria weakens its own security architecture, the Guild warned.
The organisation also urged media practitioners to act responsibly by avoiding sensationalism, religious profiling, and conflict-driven reporting—especially during religious seasons. The media, the Guild noted, must serve as a force for de-escalation, factual accuracy, and national cohesion.
Faith leaders were equally challenged to speak with one voice against violence, collaborate with government to curb inflammatory preaching, and consistently affirm that no religion condones or justifies the killing of innocent people.
As Nigerians mark Christmas—a season symbolising peace, compassion, and goodwill—and prepare to welcome the New Year, GIMP-Nigeria expressed optimism that peace remains achievable if leadership is courageous, inclusive, and intentional.
“Nigeria’s diversity is not a curse but a strength,” the Guild stated. “The New Year must mark a decisive shift from symbolic interfaith meetings to practical, result-driven partnerships with government for a safer and more united nation.”
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