“You are the custodians of our traditions and the moral conscience of our communities. That is why we consider it necessary to come to your palace to seek your fatherly blessings and guidance.”
— Felix Joseph Samari
* Seeks Royal Blessings to Deepen Religious Freedom, Peace and Unity in Nigeria
FFA Team in a group photograph with HRH Etsu Nupe, Allhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR, to his immediate right: the Country Representative of Faith and Freedom Africa, Mr. Felix Joseph Samari; to his immediate left, Dr. Ahmad Dahiru of the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, University of Abuja; Media and Governance expert, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan; and Mr. Samuel Clement of the administrative unit of FFA joined in the photograph,
By Abdulrahman Aliagan,
The ancient city of Bida, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and enduring traditional institutions, became the latest destination in the advocacy campaign of Faith and Freedom Africa (FFA) as the organisation paid a high-level courtesy and advocacy visit to the palace of His Royal Highness, Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR.
The visit formed part of Faith and Freedom Africa’s sustained engagement with traditional institutions across Northern Nigeria to promote freedom of religion or belief, peaceful coexistence, religious tolerance and national unity.
The advocacy delegation comprised the Country Representative of Faith and Freedom Africa, Mr. Felix Joseph Samari; Dr. Ahmad Dahiru of the Department of History and Diplomatic Studies, University of Abuja; media and governance expert Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan; and Mr. Samuel Clement of the administrative unit of FFA.
Before the formal engagement, Dr. Ahmed Dahiru offered opening remarks, prayed for the continued good health, wisdom and long reign of the Etsu Nupe, while acknowledging the Emir’s longstanding contributions to peacebuilding and national development.
The Bida palace visit did not occur in isolation. It represents another milestone in Faith and Freedom Africa’s expanding campaign to mobilise influential traditional and religious leaders as partners in strengthening religious harmony across Nigeria.
In recent months, the organisation has undertaken several strategic interventions aimed at promoting mutual understanding among people of different faiths.
Among these were separate high-level Muslim and Christian Leaders’ Summits held in Abuja. The Muslim summit took place at the National Mosque, while the Christian summit was hosted at the National Christian Centre. Both gatherings brought together eminent Islamic scholars, Christian clerics, professors, traditional rulers and other respected stakeholders who collectively reaffirmed the constitutional guarantees protecting freedom of religion and peaceful coexistence.
The organisation also recently convened the Religious Freedom Youth Advocacy Cohort in Abuja, where 41 carefully selected Muslim and Christian youths drawn from the 19 Northern states underwent intensive capacity-building on promoting peace, countering hate speech and using social media as a tool for religious tolerance instead of division.
These young advocates are expected to serve as digital ambassadors of peace, challenging misinformation, religious extremism and narratives capable of fuelling conflict.
Speaking during the advocacy visit, the Country Representative of Faith and Freedom Africa, Mr. Felix Joseph Samari, expressed profound appreciation to the Etsu Nupe for previously supporting the organisation’s programmes through his representation at earlier national engagements.
He recalled that the organisation had earlier utilised the National Mosque for its Muslim Leaders’ Summit under the leadership associated with the National Mosque administration, while the Christian Leaders’ Summit held at the National Christian Centre equally attracted broad participation from Christian leaders and traditional rulers.
According to Samari, discussions during the summits centred on strengthening Nigerians’ commitment to constitutional provisions that guarantee every citizen the right to freely practise his or her religion without intimidation or discrimination.
He referenced Sections 38 and 42 of the Constitution, noting that every Nigerian possesses the constitutional right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, while discrimination on the basis of religion, ethnicity or tribe remains unacceptable in a democratic society.
Samari stressed that while legal protections are important, sustainable peace cannot be achieved without the active involvement of traditional institutions.
He described traditional rulers as custodians of culture, morality and community values whose influence remains indispensable in shaping public attitudes toward peaceful coexistence.
“Our work cannot succeed without the support and blessings of our royal fathers,” he noted.
“You are the custodians of our traditions and the moral conscience of our communities. That is why we consider it necessary to come to your palace to seek your fatherly blessings and guidance.”
Samari explained that the visit to Bida represents the latest in a series of advocacy engagements with respected traditional rulers across Northern Nigeria.
According to him, Faith and Freedom Africa had earlier visited the Emir and Chairman of the Yobe State Traditional Council in Fika, where valuable counsel and royal blessings were received.
The organisation also visited the traditional leadership in Plateau State, including the Chief of Nghar, as well as the Emir of Gombe, all in continuation of efforts to build a coalition of traditional leaders committed to defending religious freedom and strengthening national cohesion.
He maintained that the organisation intends to sustain these engagements across the country, believing that traditional rulers possess unmatched grassroots legitimacy capable of influencing peaceful relationships among diverse communities.
Samari added that the visit would equally strengthen institutional relationships between Faith and Freedom Africa and the traditional institution, enabling future correspondence and collaboration on programmes promoting peace and religious tolerance.
Highlighting another major initiative of the organisation, Samari spoke extensively about the recently concluded Religious Freedom Youth Advocacy Cohort.
He explained that the programme deliberately brought together Muslim and Christian youths between the ages of 18 and 35 from across Northern Nigeria.
Rather than allowing social media platforms to remain avenues for misinformation, hate campaigns and religious intolerance, the organisation has chosen to equip young people with knowledge and advocacy skills to become voices of unity online.
According to him, the trained youth advocates have now been deployed to promote constructive conversations, religious understanding and peaceful coexistence through various digital platforms.
He observed that social media has increasingly become a powerful instrument capable of either building peace or deepening divisions, making youth engagement essential for Nigeria’s future stability.
Responding, the Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, CFR, warmly welcomed the delegation and commended Faith and Freedom Africa for pursuing a cause that aligns with Nigeria’s collective aspiration for peace and national unity.
The royal father observed that Nigeria has experienced painful episodes of conflict arising from religious misunderstanding, misinformation and intolerance, making sustained dialogue and advocacy indispensable.
He stressed that peace remains the foundation upon which meaningful development, justice and prosperity can flourish.
The Etsu Nupe explained that both Islam and Christianity preach peace, compassion and respect for humanity, stressing that Nigerians must refuse attempts by divisive elements to manipulate religion for selfish interests.
He further noted that religious and traditional leaders share a sacred responsibility to educate their followers, promote understanding and discourage extremism capable of threatening national stability.
The monarch also acknowledged the existence of various interfaith platforms such as NIREC where Muslim and Christian leaders regularly engage in dialogue to address emerging societal challenges.
According to him, such collaborative mechanisms have continued to strengthen trust and reduce suspicion among adherents of different faiths.
He encouraged Faith and Freedom Africa to sustain its advocacy, describing the initiative as timely, necessary and beneficial to the nation’s stability.
The Etsu Nupe pledged his continued support for programmes that encourage peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among Nigerians irrespective of religious or ethnic backgrounds.
“We pledged our continued support for programmes that encourage peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among Nigerians irrespective of religious or ethnic backgrounds.”
— Etsu Nupe, HRH Yahaya Abubakar, CFR
He assured the delegation that the traditional institution would remain open to future collaborations aimed at strengthening religious harmony, community engagement and youth development.
The monarch further offered prayers for the success of Faith and Freedom Africa’s activities, asking God to grant the organisation wisdom, protection and greater impact in its mission of building a more peaceful and united Nigeria.
As the advocacy visit concluded, both the delegation and the palace reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting dialogue, tolerance and respect for the constitutional rights of every Nigerian.
The engagement in Bida once again demonstrated the growing recognition that sustainable peace cannot be achieved through legislation alone but requires the combined efforts of government, religious institutions, traditional authorities, civil society organisations and the younger generation working together toward a common vision of unity, justice and peaceful coexistence.
