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RURCON’s JISRA Peace Campaign Fosters Interfaith Harmony Across Plateau Communities
The Rural Development Counsellor for Christian Churches in Africa (RURCON) has recorded significant strides in promoting peaceful coexistence across Plateau State through its ongoing “Faith Community for Peace” campaign—part of the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) project, supported by Tearfund and other global partners.
Over a two-day community-based review held from July 2 to 3, 2025, RURCON convened religious leaders, traditional rulers, women, and youth from Corner Soldier, Zaruma, Dutsen Kura, and Rafiki communities to reflect on the journey toward lasting peace and tolerance.
Jos North Communities Reflect on Progress
On Day One, participants from Corner Soldier and Zaruma in Jos North LGA gathered at Goodlife Hotel to assess the impact of the JISRA project.
Mrs. Dinatu Ayizat, Executive Director of RURCON, described the initiative as transformative:
“For the first time, Muslims and Christians in these communities now interact freely. Women are stepping into leadership roles—one has even been elected community counselor.”
Elizabeth Onu, JISRA Project Officer, explained the campaign’s layered strategy, starting with intra-faith dialogue to resolve internal divisions before fostering interfaith unity.
“Many conflicts stem from value clashes. We helped them first heal within before reaching across,” she said.
Testimonies from both Christian and Muslim community members echoed similar sentiments.
Pastor Willson Nwadike of Zaruma commended the initiative for encouraging collaboration between religious and traditional leaders, while Aminu Isa, representing Muslim youth from Corner Soldier, noted increased youth participation in development activities.
Traditional leader Markus Sani Nyam, District Head of Hallnambu (Anaguta Chiefdom), added:
“These teachings have restored peaceful coexistence. We now understand how to live peacefully, regardless of tribe or faith.”
Day Two: Stories of Reconciliation in Bassa LGA
On July 3, the program moved to Rafiki and Dutsen Kura in Bassa LGA, where stories of interfaith collaboration and reconciliation took center stage.
Jibrin Isah, a religious leader in Dutsen Kura, shared how mistrust has turned into mutual respect:
“We now worship side by side. Our children go to the same schools and we clean our streets together.”
Women leaders like Maryam Abubakar and Blessing Ezekiel praised their growing inclusion in decision-making processes. Youth leader Jafaru Isah credited financial empowerment schemes like the Adashe savings initiative for helping youth establish businesses and turn away from drugs.
According to Elizabeth Onu, a remarkable shift is taking place:
“Even Imams are now involving women in religious discussions. Traditional leaders are allowing daughters to inherit family property. That’s real change.”
District Head Adik Adankala emphasized personal responsibility for peace:
“Peace starts with us—not with the President or the government.”
Sustaining Peace: Reflections and the Road Ahead
RURCON’s director, Mrs. Ayizat, reiterated that religious bias was a primary trigger of conflict in the affected communities.
“Today, Christians and Muslims not only coexist, they lead together. That’s real transformation.”
She highlighted the success of JISRA’s three-pillar approach: intra-faith dialogue, interfaith cooperation, and advocacy. With the first two yielding significant gains, focus now shifts to deepening advocacy and influencing policy.
Despite the achievements, some challenges remain. Musa Saleh warned about external forces attempting to destabilize peace, while others stressed the need for continued training to maintain progress.
The JISRA project, now in its fifth year, operates in Plateau and Kaduna States, including Zokuwa, Ayaga, and Gidan Waya in Southern Kaduna. As momentum builds, both RURCON and local leaders are calling for greater institutional support to consolidate these peacebuilding successes.
Imam Haruna Abubakar of Corner Soldier summed up the transformation:
“This project has restored what we lost—trust, dialogue, and unity. Now we celebrate each other’s festivals, pray together, and build together.”
Policy experts, academics, and researchers have stated that strong public policy implementation and debt management can drive good governance in Africa.
They made these remarks during the just-concluded African Finance and Economics (AFEA) 2026 conference, held in Abuja from 3 to 5 July.
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Evans Osabuohein, a professor of economics, said that the discussions at the event focused on public policy and debt management, which are affecting human capital development in Africa.
“It [is] about how public debt can be managed more efficiently in Africa, so that we can tap into the resources for human capital and energy efficiency in this age of innovation. We need human resources that are well-skilled, equipped, and knowledgeable to harness such potential that technology like artificial intelligence present today,” he said.
“Debt is not bad in itself; the issue is when debt is borrowed but is not used for capital investment, the servicing of debt becomes a burden. We have seen this in most African countries where some of the borrowings are not geared towards human capital development.”
Mr Osabuohein, a board member of AFEA, explained that it would be a win-win option for both governments and citizens if public debt is used judiciously, saying that the execution of projects translates into employing the populace to do the labour.
More details
The three-day international conference, hosted by Nile University Abuja’s faculty of arts and social sciences, brought together scholars, policymakers, and industry experts in the field of economics.
Themed ‘Africa’s Geoeconomic Development Agenda in a Global Realignment Era’, it sought to contribute expert input on shifting geopolitics, climate risk, and development finance across the continent, and drew attendees from Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, and other countries.
Emotimo Agama, director-general of the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC); Tope Fasua, an economic adviser to President Bola Tinubu; Tony Okpanachi, managing director of the Development Bank of Nigeria, among others, made up the line-up of dignitaries for the event.
Premium Times monitored breakout sessions at the programme, where participants presented papers on topics including debt sustainability, global financial and health governance systems, digital service delivery, mobile money, financial inclusion, and continental digital markets.
Some sessions also focused on youth, gender, demographic change, and inclusive development; as well as migration, urbanisation, and spatial inequality, with a broad focus on Africa-West relations.
The sessions featured interactive discussions for each paper presenter, including how their research work could be further enhanced.
Participants speak
Abogede Marietu, a PhD candidate of economics at Nile University, described the conference as impactful, adding that it has given her opportunities to learn from scholars in her field.
“Today is actually my first time presenting my work at an international conference, and I think that gives visibility to my work. I have also got to learn from other presenters.”
“It is my earnest desire that the government in Africa would look into the policies that myself and other presenters have come up with, so as to improve the economy, and also aid the livelihood of the citizens of the continent,” she said.
READ ALSO: Africa must act before deep-sea mining becomes a new battleground
Another paper presenter, Ropheka Bot, stated that she found the discussions in the conference “very timely and engaging as experts gathered to discuss current global issues”
Mrs Bot, a lecturer at Bingham University, Karu, said she hopes that governments in Africa would implement some of their research findings to improve development on the continent.
About AFEA
The African Finance and Economics Association (AFEA) is a professional forum for academics and practitioners (government and industry) of finance, economics, and related disciplines interested in the development of Africa.
It seeks to empower the continent through financial growth and sustainable development, with a mission to promote the exchange of information and ideas among professionals and stakeholders in the field while fostering research that advances knowledge on contemporary African development issues.
With Majune Socrates as its president, Gbadebo Odularu sits as the chairman of the board for the organisation.
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