FILE: President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu is expected to open a two-day international conference on security and national unity organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah, JIBWIS Nigeria, in partnership with the Muslim World League of Saudi Arabia, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The conference, which will focus on kidnapping, banditry and other security challenges confronting Nigeria, is expected to bring together Islamic scholars, policymakers, security experts, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from Nigeria and abroad, according to a statement obtained by The PUNCH on Sunday.

The event is themed “Diversity and Peaceful Coexistence among People,” and will hold at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, beginning at 9 am on Tuesday, August 11, the statement signed by the chairman of the conference’s media and publicity committee, Garbadeen Mohammad, said.

The organisers said the conference was designed to examine Nigeria’s security challenges within a wider global context while exploring how religious cooperation and social cohesion could contribute to national stability.

The programme comes against the backdrop of persistent kidnapping and banditry, which the organisers identified as significant threats to Nigeria’s national security.

Beyond security, the conference will seek to address divisions within the Muslim community, including sectarian, ethnic and tribal differences, while promoting peaceful relations between Muslims and adherents of other religions.

The organisers said one of the objectives was to encourage Muslims to maintain their different sectarian identities without allowing those differences to become sources of hostility.

“We can hold on to our respective sects while respecting Muslims of other sects. Fighting among sects weakens the Muslim Ummah as a whole,” the statement said.

It added, “Regardless of tribe or ethnicity, Muslims must treat each other as brothers and sisters in Islam. No insults, no provocative statements.”

The organisers said the conference would also promote dialogue between communities and strengthen partnerships capable of producing practical responses to insecurity and underdevelopment.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, is expected to serve as the Royal Father of the Day, while governors, ministers, members of the National and State Assemblies, Islamic scholars, traditional rulers, business leaders and members of the Muslim community from Nigeria and other countries are expected to attend.

The conference will feature plenary sessions examining national security and socio-economic development from a global perspective, alongside discussions on diversity and inclusive coexistence.

Expert sessions will specifically examine approaches to countering terrorism and armed banditry, as well as measures for strengthening the resilience of communities affected by insecurity.

The organisers are also scheduled to hold global partnership roundtables focused on sustainable socio-economic development, with the aim of moving discussions beyond religious engagement to broader questions of development and social stability.

According to the committee, the partnership between JIBWIS Nigeria and the Muslim World League reflects a shared effort to promote religious diversity, social harmony and cooperation among communities.

The organisers also linked the initiative to previous engagements between Islamic and Christian leaders, saying religious and cultural differences could be harnessed to promote rather than undermine national cohesion.

“The initiative builds on previous engagements between Islamic and Christian leaders and reinforces the belief that religious and cultural diversity can serve as a catalyst for unity, stability and societal progress,” the statement said.

The conference will end at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, after which participants will proceed to the JIBWIS headquarters in Utako, Abuja, for a national preaching session scheduled to continue through the night.

Participants are expected to depart Abuja on Thursday.

The event is being organised as a joint initiative of JIBWIS Nigeria and the Muslim World League, with the organisers describing the conference as a platform for exchanging ideas and developing partnerships around security, peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.