How Sheikh Fouad Adeyemi is redefining Nigeria’s move toward peace and unity in diversity through the Abrahamic programme on NTA
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The programme represents an effort to use the power of television and religious dialogue to remind Nigerians of the shared values that exist across the country’s major faith traditions. Rather than presenting religious diversity as a source of permanent conflict, the Abrahamic approach seeks to highlight common ground, mutual respect and the moral responsibilities that bind humanity together.
At a time when religious differences are often exploited to deepen mistrust, suspicion and division in Nigeria, the emergence of initiatives that deliberately promote dialogue and peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths has become increasingly significant. This is what great minds especially within the Muslim fold, who have willingly made allegiance to the leadership of Sultan of Sokoto His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, do.
One such initiative is the Abrahamic Mission, associated with Sheikh Fouad Adeyemi and broadcast to a national audience through the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). The programme represents an effort to use the power of television and religious dialogue to remind Nigerians of the shared values that exist across the country’s major faith traditions.
Rather than presenting religious diversity as a source of permanent conflict, the Abrahamic approach seeks to highlight common ground, mutual respect and the moral responsibilities that bind humanity together.
Sheikh Fouad Adeyemi, an Islamic scholar of Ode Omu, Osun State Alalukurani lineage and Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Central Mosque in Abuja, has increasingly become associated with interfaith engagement and advocacy for religious tolerance. His approach, as reflected in the Abrahamic Mission, is anchored on the argument that Muslims and Christians, despite their theological differences, share important foundations of faith and can coexist peacefully as citizens of the same country.
A report published in January 2025 by the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria – under the leadership of Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullai – specifically commended Imam Fouad Adeyemi and the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council co-chaired by Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Archbishop Daniel Okoh for their efforts toward promoting unity, religious tolerance and understanding. The group said the Abrahamic Mission on NTA and FRCN had contributed to sensitisation around the common belief in one God shared by Muslims and Christians.
Beyond Religious Differences
The significance of the Abrahamic Mission lies largely in its attempt to move the national conversation away from the politics of religious difference toward the possibilities of peaceful coexistence.
Nigeria is a country of extraordinary religious, ethnic and cultural diversity. Islam and Christianity constitute the two dominant religious traditions, while indigenous beliefs and practices also remain part of the country’s cultural landscape. In such an environment, religious dialogue is not merely an intellectual exercise; it can be an important instrument for national cohesion.
The Abrahamic concept provides a framework for such dialogue because it recognises the historical and spiritual connections among the three major monotheistic traditions associated with Abraham.
For Nigeria, however, the relevance of this idea goes beyond theology. It is about citizenship.
A Muslim and a Christian may worship differently, observe different religious rituals and hold different theological convictions, yet both remain Nigerians with a shared stake in the country’s peace and development.
This is where the Abrahamic Mission’s message becomes particularly relevant.
The programme can be viewed as an attempt to build a bridge between communities by encouraging Nigerians to see religious diversity not as a threat but as a reality that can be managed through mutual respect, responsible communication and dialogue.
The Power of NTA as a National Platform
The choice of the Nigeria Television Authority as a platform is also significant.
Television remains one of the most powerful tools for shaping public opinion and influencing national conversations. A message of religious tolerance delivered through a national broadcasting platform has the potential to reach audiences far beyond the walls of mosques, churches, schools and religious conferences.
The Abrahamic Mission therefore represents more than a conventional religious programme. At its best, it can function as a platform for public education and national orientation.
Its central message is particularly important in an era when social media can rapidly amplify inflammatory statements, religious misinformation and divisive narratives.
While social media often rewards controversy, a structured television programme can provide space for deeper conversations, informed explanations and responsible engagement.
By taking conversations about faith and coexistence to a broad national audience, Sheikh Fouad Adeyemi’s initiative underscores the need for Nigerians to engage one another intellectually and respectfully rather than allowing differences to degenerate into hostility.
From Tolerance to Understanding
There is an important distinction between religious tolerance and religious understanding.
Tolerance may mean simply allowing another person to practise a different religion. Understanding goes further. It requires people to learn about one another, recognise shared values and appreciate the boundaries of religious difference.
This appears to be one of the broader ideas behind the Abrahamic Mission.
The goal is not necessarily to erase theological distinctions between Islam and Christianity. Rather, it is to encourage Nigerians to understand that disagreement over religious doctrine does not have to translate into hatred between citizens.
This distinction is vital in Nigeria, where religious identity can sometimes intersect with ethnicity, regional politics and social competition.
A disagreement that begins as a religious argument can quickly acquire ethnic or political dimensions. Conversely, political disagreements can be presented as religious conflicts, thereby making reconciliation more difficult.
Initiatives that encourage Nigerians to separate legitimate religious differences from hatred and violence can therefore make a meaningful contribution to national peace.
Religion as an Instrument of Peace
The role of religion in Nigeria’s national life cannot be ignored.
Religious institutions have enormous influence over millions of Nigerians. Imams and pastors speak to large congregations every week, while religious organisations operate schools, hospitals, charities and community development initiatives.
This gives religious leaders an extraordinary opportunity to influence attitudes toward peace, justice and citizenship.
The challenge is to ensure that religious influence is directed toward building society rather than dividing it.
The Abrahamic Mission’s approach reflects the possibility of using religious platforms to promote peace rather than conflict.
The Muslim Media Watch Group, in its 2025 statement, argued that the Abrahamic Mission had helped bring Muslims and Christians closer through sensitisation and awareness of their shared belief in one God.
Whether one agrees with every aspect of the Abrahamic framework or not, the underlying principle is difficult to dismiss: Nigerians must find ways to live together despite their differences.
A New Language for National Unity
One of the most important contributions of Sheikh Fouad Adeyemi’s approach may be the language it introduces into Nigeria’s conversation about unity.
For decades, discussions about national integration have often focused on ethnicity, regional balance and political representation. These issues remain important, but religion must also be addressed because it is deeply embedded in the identity and daily lives of millions of Nigerians.
The Abrahamic Mission introduces a language of shared spiritual heritage into the national conversation.
It suggests that religious identity need not prevent Nigerians from developing a common national identity.
In this sense, the programme can be seen as part of a broader search for a Nigerian model of peaceful coexistence—one that does not demand uniformity but encourages unity in diversity.
The Road Ahead
The success of any interfaith initiative ultimately depends on its ability to move beyond rhetoric and influence real attitudes and behaviour.
For the Abrahamic Mission to achieve its full potential, its message must continue to reach young Nigerians, religious leaders, educators, policymakers and communities affected by religious tension.
There is also a need for similar initiatives to emerge across the country, creating opportunities for Muslims, Christians and adherents of indigenous traditions to engage one another without fear or hostility.
The responsibility for peace cannot rest on the shoulders of one individual or one programme. It requires the collective commitment of government, religious institutions, traditional leaders, civil society, the media and ordinary citizens.
Nevertheless, initiatives such as the Abrahamic Mission demonstrate that religious platforms can be part of the solution.
A Message Nigeria Cannot Afford to Ignore
At a time when Nigeria is confronting insecurity, mistrust and deep social divisions, the message of peaceful coexistence deserves serious attention.
Sheikh Fouad Adeyemi’s Abrahamic Mission, as presented through its NTA platform, offers a model built around dialogue, shared values and the recognition that religious diversity is an enduring feature of Nigerian society.
Its fundamental message is simple but profound: Nigerians do not have to become the same before they can live together in peace.
The future of Nigeria may depend, in part, on the ability of its citizens to transform diversity from a source of suspicion into an opportunity for mutual understanding.
In that regard, the Abrahamic Mission represents an important contribution to the ongoing national conversation about peace and unity. Its greatest achievement would be to inspire Nigerians to look beyond the labels that divide them and recognise the humanity, dignity and citizenship they share.
For a country as religiously and culturally diverse as Nigeria, that is not merely a religious message. It is a national imperative.
