Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has criticised what she described as the global inaccurate framing of security challenges facing Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during a meeting with the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt. Revd. Justin Welby, in her office at the State House, the First Lady emphasised that while efforts to promote peace and harmony among diverse groups in Nigeria continue, the international community must support such efforts by avoiding misleading narratives.
She appreciated the former Archbishop for acknowledging that Nigeria’s challenges should primarily be addressed by Nigerians, who better understand the country’s peculiarities.
“Listening to one side of the story and then concluding is a wrong approach to conflict resolution.
“Thank you for opening up this interfaith dialogue, and I believe that you should also invite not just Christians and Muslims but also the Nigerian security agencies to the dialogue to know what they have been doing,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu stressed that nations must be understood within the right context in order to develop appropriate solutions to their challenges.
She also commended Nigeria’s Armed Forces for their continued gallantry and efforts in addressing the country’s security situation.
The First Lady further urged religious institutions, particularly the Church, both in Nigeria and globally, to promote values that encourage responsible living and peaceful coexistence.
In his remarks, Rt. Revd. Welby said his visit was aimed at contributing to ongoing efforts to promote peace and security in Nigeria, while also reinforcing the country’s image as one that protects freedom of worship.
He disclosed that an interfaith dialogue meeting is being organised by the Global Forum for Peace in Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of Sheikh Abdallah Bin Baya, and is scheduled to hold in London next week.
According to him, the dialogue will bring together 12 Christian and 12 Muslim leaders to foster mutual understanding and develop practical solutions to interfaith conflicts, not only in Nigeria but globally.
“We want to contribute to what President Bola Tinubu is doing to promote peace, interfaith-wise. All we are after is enduring peace.
“I am here to smooth the way ahead of the interfaith dialogue and make sure the meeting addresses all that it should,” he said.
The former Archbishop was accompanied on the visit by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery.
The meeting followed a recent state visit by President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady to the United Kingdom, where interfaith engagements and a church service at Lambeth Palace formed part of her itinerary.
Also on Wednesday, Mrs. Tinubu received the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who briefed her on progress made with the ministry’s Girls in Tech programme.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Tijani said the First Lady is set to host a dinner in Abuja to showcase innovations and solutions developed by participants of the programme.
He also revealed that she had agreed to serve as the face of a campaign aimed at expanding internet penetration and connectivity in rural and riverine communities across the country.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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