FG Reaffirms Protection Of Religious Freedom, Backs Interfaith Monitoring To Strengthen Unity
As Nigeria continues to navigate complex religious and social dynamics, the Federal Government has restated its commitment to protecting freedom of religion and belief as a constitutional right critical to national unity and peaceful coexistence.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), The Kukah Centre, and the Nasrul-Lahi-il-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) to the Ministry in Abuja.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, the Minister emphasised that freedom of religion and belief remains central to Nigeria’s stability, democratic governance, and social cohesion.
The visiting delegation presented reports and a policy brief from a two-phase project aimed at establishing mechanisms for monitoring violations of freedom of religion and belief across the country.
The initiative included interfaith dialogue, community engagement, and the creation of inclusive monitoring networks, particularly in Kano and Ebonyi States, to document real-time cases.
The project also featured multilingual radio campaigns across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence, while providing evidence-based data to guide government policy and inclusive governance.
Mr Nnam assured the organisations of the Ministry’s readiness to deepen collaboration through public enlightenment and strategic communication to counter hate speech, misinformation, and religious intolerance.
He described civil society and faith-based organisations as critical partners in nation-building, reiterating the Federal Government’s resolve to promote dialogue, tolerance, and peaceful cohabitation in Nigeria.
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