The call for peace, tolerance and unity reverberated as the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA), in collaboration with the Development Initiative of West Africa (DIWA), convened a roundtable discussion with stakeholders on sustaining peace through dialogue.
The event, held on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Jos, Plateau State, was themed “Sustaining Peace Through Dialogue: A Roundtable with Faith Communities on Advancing Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and the Rights of Minority Groups in Nigeria.” It brought together faith leaders, government officials, traditional rulers, civil society actors, media practitioners, women and youth leaders from Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Jos North and communities including Daffo, Kwatas and Sabon Layi.
Delivering opening remarks on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of DIWA, Project Officer Habila Mohammed Kudu described peace as “a bridge between what JISRA has achieved and what our communities must now own.” He stressed that peace cannot be outsourced nor left to chance, but must be nurtured intentionally, protected collectively and sustained through dialogue.
Chief Imam of Jos, Sheikh Ghazali Ismail Adam, who delivered the keynote address, spoke on dialogue as a tool for sustaining peace.
He identified building trust, ensuring inclusivity for women and minority groups, and respecting differences while taking tangible actions as principles for peacebuilding. He noted that since 2021 JISRA, led by DIWA, had helped to address and transform inter- and intra-religious tensions across Kaduna and Plateau States, fostering cooperation and creating safe spaces for reflection.
Nafisat Abdulazeez of the Crest Center for Peace and Social Advancement (CCPSA) stressed that peace must be owned by communities themselves. “Not even the UN can bring peace to a community that doesn’t want it,” she said, urging elders to model peace for the younger generation.
Executive Director of the Victor Dielat Memorial Foundation, Jumai Danuk Tadi, reflected on her childhood experiences of living peacefully among Muslims and Christians and appealed to communities to preserve the lessons from JISRA. “Development does not come without peace, and progress cannot exist without peace,” she stated.
General Secretary of TEKAN, Rev. Augustine Akawu, called on participants to take the dialogue beyond the meeting hall. “Where there is peace, tremendous achievements are possible. In its absence, there is only destruction,” he warned.
Representing the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), journalist Lola Fadile Bello, who stood in for the chapel chairman, Polycarp Auta, reaffirmed the media’s role in promoting peace stories rather than division. She explained that the chapel had organised peace summits, training for journalists and advocacy programmes aimed at strengthening harmony among communities. “Today, the media is more than a source of information. It is a platform for dialogue, understanding and unity,” she said.
Community representatives also shared testimonies. Mallam Zayanu said JISRA had fostered mutual respect across faiths and ethnic divides, citing women’s empowerment, youth engagement and the establishment of a community farm as achievements. “This peace will remain a legacy forever. By God’s grace, we will never return to the past,” he said. Malama Fatima and Mary John from Gindin Akwati also commended the programme and urged stronger women’s participation in peacebuilding.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Plateau State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Caroline Dafur, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Dombin, said peace could not be achieved without women’s involvement.
He disclosed that the government had defended a N2 billion budget for 2026 to tackle gender-based violence and empower women, while also paying a counterpart fund of N250 billion in partnership with the World Bank to train 15,000 women in two phases.
He added that the Commissioner had requested the expansion of the programme to Crisis Local Government to cover more vulnerable groups.
JISRA, which commenced in 2021 and winds down in August 2025, was praised for transforming interfaith relations on the Plateau.
The roundtable ended with the launch of a communiqué from the Women’s Summit on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and Peacebuilding in Nigeria 2024, which called for inclusivity, stronger legal protections for minority rights and community-driven dialogue mechanisms.