The Federal Government has called for the integration of religious literacy into Nigeria's education and civic systems to curb political manipulation and reduce conflict ahead of the 2027 general elections. Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during the First Tri-annual Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), themed "Religious Literacy for National Cohesion." Akume described religious literacy as a civic necessity, warning that the weaponisation of identity and prevailing stereotypes continue to fuel conflicts across the country. He stressed that embedding religious literacy in civic and educational frameworks would protect citizens from identity-based violence and political exploitation. "National cohesion cannot be built on suspicion, coercion, or exclusion; rather, it should be built on justice, dignity, and mutual respect," Akume said. He clarified the government's goal was not to politicise religion but to strengthen citizenship, noting that while religious studies are in the school curriculum, improvements are needed in teacher training and learning materials. Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and NIREC Co-Chair, defined religious literacy as the ability to engage across differences and resist divisive narratives. He noted that tensions framed along religious lines often stem from social, economic or political root causes. The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar III, stated that terrorists and bandits are criminals regardless of religious claims and dismissed fears of Muslim dominance, affirming that Muslims do not intend to dismantle the Christian population. Professor Ukertor Moti of the University of Abuja proposed a National Framework for Religious Literacy and a voluntary certification system for clerics to prevent hate speech, warning that untrained clerics' selective scriptural interpretations can incite violence.
George Akume calls for improved religious literacy while acknowledging the current curriculum already includes religious studies, raising the question of why years of existing instruction have failed to curb identity-based conflict. If religious education has long been in schools but stereotypes and manipulation persist, the gap may not be content but implementation. The Federal Government's assurance of machinery to support religious institutions ahead of 2027 offers no clarity on how this will differ from past efforts. Without addressing the failure of previous frameworks, new appeals risk being rhetorical.
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