The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged religious leaders across Nigeria to champion human rights, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence in their communities, stressing their strategic role in uniting a diverse nation.
The call was made during a one-day sensitisation programme held in Abuja, which brought together Christian and Muslim leaders from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to explore the intersection of faith and human rights.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, the Head of the Monitoring Department, Mr Benedict Agu, described religious leaders as influential voices capable of reshaping public attitudes towards dignity and respect.
“Your voices carry immense weight in your communities. Your teachings inspire millions to uphold dignity, compassion, and mutual respect,” he said.
The event, which focused on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and human rights education, aimed to deepen understanding among faith leaders and promote sustained interfaith dialogue.
Ojukwu reaffirmed the NHRC’s mandate to promote and enforce human rights through public enlightenment, research, mediation, and direct intervention. He noted that the teachings of all major religions aligned with the core principles of human rights.
“Religious teachings and human rights are not contradictory but complementary,” he said, stressing the importance of partnering with faith communities to foster a peaceful and inclusive society.
He further noted the Commission’s engagement in conflict-affected regions such as Benue and Plateau States, where it continues to condemn violence and encourage mutual tolerance. He urged participants to become frontline advocates for peace and defenders of rights.
“Leave here committed to becoming ambassadors of peace and defenders of human rights,” Dr Ojukwu charged.
In a keynote session, human rights consultant Mr Saka Azimazi, speaking on “The Role of Religious Leaders in Promoting Human Rights and Peaceful Coexistence,” encouraged clerics to build bridges across communities rather than reinforce divisions.
Director for Education, Youth and Women Development at the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev Emmanuel Nicodemus, also stressed the duty of religious leaders to promote dialogue, justice, and inclusive understanding.
In his remarks, Imam Tamim Alhasan of the Muslim Community Centre Mosque in Zone 3, Abuja, called on religious figures to lead by example in compassion and tolerance, leveraging their moral authority to combat discrimination and violence.
PIAK