The Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria (GIMP-Nigeria) has called on governments at all levels to make interfaith collaboration a core pillar of Nigeria’s security architecture, warning that insecurity will remain entrenched without deliberate cooperation between faith communities and the state.
In a Christmas and New Year message issued in Abuja, the Guild said persistent killings, kidnappings, banditry, terrorism and communal clashes have exposed the limits of a security strategy focused largely on military force, while neglecting the social and religious fault lines that fuel violence.
GIMP-Nigeria noted that attacks on places of worship, highways, farmlands and residential communities have become frequent, leaving citizens traumatised and eroding public trust, national cohesion and economic activity.
The Chairman of the Guild, Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, described the crisis as a failure of trust as much as of security. He said insecurity thrives in an atmosphere of misinformation, exclusion and the exploitation of religious identity, insisting that meaningful interfaith cooperation is no longer optional.
According to the Guild, structured engagement involving Muslim and Christian leaders, media practitioners and government agencies could help weaken extremist narratives, improve early-warning signals at the community level, mediate local disputes before they escalate and reduce the spread of hate speech.
The organisation urged the Federal, State and Local Governments to formalise partnerships with credible interfaith bodies, invest in peacebuilding and counter-narrative programmes, and incorporate faith-sensitive perspectives into security planning.
It also appealed to the media to uphold professional standards by avoiding sensational or divisive reporting, particularly during religious seasons, and instead promote accurate, balanced coverage that supports national unity.
Faith leaders, the Guild added, must consistently denounce violence, discourage inflammatory preaching and reinforce the message that no religion sanctions the killing of innocent people.
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas and look ahead to the New Year, GIMP-Nigeria said the country’s diversity remains a source of strength, expressing confidence that sustained, practical interfaith cooperation with government could help reverse the tide of insecurity and foster a safer, more united nation.
GIMP urges government to embrace interfaith approach to tackling insecurity
