As Christians, celebrate Christmas and Nigerians prepare to enter a New Year amidst widespread insecurity, the Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria (GIMP-Nigeria), has warned that the country cannot defeat insecurity without deliberate and sustained interfaith collaboration with government.
In its Christmas and New Year message signed by Samuel Egburonu, the Secretary, Trustees/Governing Board, the Guild condemned the continued killings, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, and the manipulation of religious identities, describing them as a grave threat to national unity, economic stability, and social trust.
GIMP-Nigeria noted that places of worship, highways, farms, and communities have become unsafe, leaving citizens traumatised and deeply divided.
According to the Guild, military responses alone have proven insufficient because insecurity in Nigeria is fueled not only by weapons but also by mistrust, misinformation, exclusion, and the abuse of religion.
“Nigeria’s insecurity is not only a security failure; it is a trust failure,” said Mr. Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, Chairman of GIMP-Nigeria. He added that “interfaith collaboration is not symbolic. It is a frontline security strategy that government can no longer afford to ignore”.
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GIMP-Nigeria stressed that structured interfaith synergy between Muslim and Christian leaders, media professionals, and government institutions can significantly reduce violence by countering extremist narratives, promoting early-warning intelligence at the grassroots, mediating communal tensions, and discouraging hate speech.
The Guild called on the Federal, State, and Local Governments to institutionalise engagement with credible interfaith bodies, support interfaith peacebuilding and counter-narrative initiatives, and integrate faith-sensitive approaches into national security planning.
“A government that sidelines faith actors in a deeply diverse religious society like Nigeria, weakens its own security architecture”, the Guild warned.
GIMP-Nigeria also urged media practitioners to act responsibly by avoiding sensationalism, religious profiling, and conflict-driven reporting; especially during religious seasons. The media, the Guild said, must serve as a force for de-escalation, accuracy in reportage, and national cohesion.
Faith leaders were also challenged to speak with one voice against violence, join hands with government to discipline inflammatory preaching, and consistently affirm that no religion justifies the killing of innocent people.
As Nigerians mark Christmas — a season associated with peace, compassion, and goodwill — and prepare for the New Year, GIMP-Nigeria expressed confidence that peace remains achievable if leadership is courageous and inclusive.
“Nigeria’s diversity is not a curse but a strength”, the Guild stated. “The New Year must mark a shift from symbolic interfaith meetings to practical, result-driven partnership with government for a safer and more united nation”.
