Islamic elders and members of the Majlis Ansarullah Nigeria, the elders’ group of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, have called for faith-based solutions for tackling global challenges.
The group, which has, for 50 years, combined spiritual development with service to humanity, community engagement and the promotion of peaceful coexistence, disclosed that at its Annual Convention, the Olumo 2026 Golden Jubilee Conference, held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The five-day golden jubilee conference, held under the theme, “Faith-Based Solutions to Global Challenges,” came with a renewed call for faith, ethical leadership and shared human values to help address global challenges.
At the heart of the anniversary was a reflection on how religious values can move beyond places of worship to influence education, leadership, healthcare, humanitarian action, peacebuilding and community development.
The Guest Lecturer, Saheed Timehin, in a lecture titled “Faith-Based Solutions to Global Challenges: Building a Just, Peaceful and Sustainable World Through Shared Spiritual Values,” challenged the assumption that religious diversity must inevitably produce division.
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He said that although religions differ on theological beliefs concerning God, revelation, salvation, prophecy, rituals, and sacred history, they share important ethical values such as justice, fairness, human dignity, and respect for others that can provide a foundation for cooperation.
Professor Timehin stressed that religious leaders, who have considerable influence, should exhibit high morality and ethical conduct because worshippers often entrust them with personal concerns and seek their guidance on matters of conscience.
The guest lecturer advocated stronger collaboration among faith communities in addressing social challenges, emphasising the importance of recognising shared humanity.
“We should accept ourselves as human beings. If we are not brothers in faith, we are brothers in humanity. And everybody has a sacred worth in the presence of God.
“Most of the people who live on earth subscribe to or belong to one faith tradition or another. Despite the fact that these faith traditions have different theological frameworks, they often converge on the same ethical core. It is this commonality that we can call a common ground.”
Timeyin cited justice and human rights as examples of values shared across religious traditions that could serve as platforms for addressing conflicts and other global challenges.
The professor noted that religious organisations should move from merely preaching the values to developing practical, multi-sectoral approaches that influence education and community life.
“It is not just something you preach from the pulpit; it is something that will have to be packaged into curricula at all levels of education, something that has to be taught and extended to little children. Because as we cater for the current generation, we cater for those who are still coming,” he stated.
The conference also featured Qur’anic recitation, speech and quiz competitions, sporting activities, prayers, consultative sessions on contemporary social and humanitarian issues, and public health talks, particularly the prevention and early detection of non-communicable diseases among older people.
The group extended its humanitarian service to residents of Abeokuta through a free medical outreach at the General Hospital, Iberekodo, and paid visits to traditional rulers, Islamic leaders, political figures and community stakeholders, reinforcing the organisation’s engagement with the wider society.
The gathering brought together members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, religious scholars, traditional rulers, political and community leaders, professionals, and other stakeholders from Nigeria and other African countries, including Ghana, Benin Republic, South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon and Sierra Leone.
