The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged religious leaders across Nigeria to use their platforms to promote peace, tolerance and responsible citizenship ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Idris made the call on Wednesday at the grand finale of the 2026 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and International Communion of Charismatic Archbishops, Bishops and Apostles (ICCABA), held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.
He said the Church had a significant role to play in preserving Nigeria’s unity, particularly at a time of heightened political tension, misinformation, religious intolerance and security challenges.
According to him, Nigeria’s diversity in religion, ethnicity, language and political interests requires responsible leadership from all sectors of society, including religious institutions.
“Keeping this country united requires more than government action. It requires responsible leadership across society, including religious leadership,” he said.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting religious freedom, stressing that every Nigerian had the constitutional right to worship and practise their faith without fear or discrimination.
“No Nigerian should be attacked or discriminated against because of religion. Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths should be able to live and worship in peace,” he said.
Idris, however, cautioned against portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious war, saying terrorists and criminal groups had attacked Nigerians from different faiths and backgrounds.
He said the objective of such groups was to create fear and undermine national unity.
The minister said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had strengthened intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, military operations and the wider national security architecture to tackle terrorism and criminality.
He added that Nigeria’s cooperation with the United States and other international partners had also expanded to include intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism, training, defence and border security.
“The message is clear: Nigeria is not facing these threats alone. We will continue to work with our international partners while strengthening our own capacity to protect Nigerians,” he said.
Idris said security efforts had yielded significant results, noting that security forces had continued to put pressure on terrorist and criminal networks across the North-East, North-West and North-Central regions.
He disclosed that about 1,000 terrorist elements, including dozens of their leaders, were eliminated in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Theatre Commander in the North-East.
He also cited the rescue of 308 abducted Nigerians in Niger and Kwara states in August as another significant achievement recorded through coordinated, intelligence-led operations involving the Armed Forces, Department of State Services and Nigeria Police Force.
Beyond security operations, Idris urged religious leaders to help strengthen social cohesion, guide young people away from radicalisation and criminality, and encourage dialogue in resolving political, social and economic grievances.
He particularly called on religious leaders to promote responsible political participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, religious leaders have the right as citizens to hold political opinions, but political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into religious hostility.
“No election should be allowed to turn Christian against Muslim, Muslim against Christian, North against South, or one ethnic group against another. Nigeria belongs to all of us,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to examine the records and programmes of political candidates, vote according to their conscience and accept legitimate electoral outcomes.
On the economy, the minister said the Tinubu administration inherited serious economic challenges and had introduced reforms, including the removal of petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system.
He said the reforms were aimed at building a more productive and sustainable economy rather than continuing policies that consumed public resources without creating lasting value.
Idris highlighted government programmes including the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), 3 Million Technical Talent programme (3MTT), Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), National Youth Talent Export Programme (NATEP), Student Venture Capital Grant (SVCG), Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA), and Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) as part of efforts to expand opportunities for young Nigerians.
He described Nigeria’s young population as one of the country’s greatest resources and urged churches to deepen their contributions to youth development through education, healthcare, vocational training, entrepreneurship and community service.
“Our greatest resource is not only what lies beneath our soil. It is also the talent and ability of our people,” he said.
The minister also urged religious leaders to support the government’s efforts to provide accurate information and strengthen national orientation.
He warned against the spread of false information, hate speech and messages capable of inflaming religious, ethnic or political tensions.
“A statement made by a respected religious leader can calm a community. It can also inflame one. That is why leadership should always be accompanied by responsibility,” Idris said.
He stressed that building a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria was a shared responsibility involving government, citizens, religious and traditional leaders, the private sector, professionals, young people and communities.
Idris commended the leadership of CBCN and ICCABA for bringing together church leaders from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, expressing hope that the resolutions of the Synod would translate into stronger communities and a more peaceful Nigeria.
He said Nigerians must recognise that elections were temporary moments in the life of the country, while the nation itself would endure beyond electoral cycles, governments and political parties.
“Our greater obligation is therefore to preserve Nigeria’s peace, strengthen its unity and safeguard its future for generations yet to come,” he said.