News
Youth Leaders Unite for Peace at Plateau Interfaith Town Hall
Jos, Nigeria — July 19, 2025
Young leaders from across Plateau State gathered Saturday at a town hall meeting hosted by the Plateau Youth Interfaith Forum (PYIF) to promote youth-led initiatives for peacebuilding and religious tolerance across the state. The event, supported by Search for Common Ground (SFCG), under the Inclusive Religious Engagement in Nigeria Enhanced by Women (I-RENEW) project, brought together participants from Plateau’s three senatorial zones: North, Central, and South.
With technical oversight from the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency (PPBA) and funding from the European Union, the event aimed to empower youths to take ownership of the peacebuilding process and strengthen social cohesion through interfaith collaboration.
In his welcome remarks, PYIF Co-chair Sheikh Omar Farooq Muhammad described the town hall as “a crucial gathering to discuss youth-led interfaith initiatives for sustainable peace.” He urged participants to seize the opportunity, saying, “Through this town-hall meeting, we envision a Plateau where youths from diverse backgrounds and faiths work together, respect each other’s differences, and contribute to sustainable peace and development.”
He added: “As youths, we recognize the challenges in our communities—conflicts, mistrust, and divisions—but we also acknowledge our immense potential to drive positive change.”
PYIF Co-chair Pharm. Markus Audu Kanda traced the group’s formation to the May 2024 Plateau Interfaith Dialogue organized by Search for Common Ground. “One of the resolutions was the need to establish the Plateau State Interfaith Youth Platform. That platform was inaugurated by the Governor on September 2, 2024,” he said.
Kanda emphasized that the forum, which comprises 25 members from groups like YOWICAN, NACOMYO, FOMWAN, and ethnic youth nationalities, has undergone training in advocacy, digital peace tools, and religious freedom awareness under the I-RENEW project.
“This activity is the last in a series of interventions. We’ve held a December town hall marking International Human Rights Day and tackled issues such as the Executive Order 003 protests in Bukuru,” he said. “We also organized radio programs and plan to step down training in 2025 across the 17 LGAs.”
PYIF Co-PRO Ali Ali Yahaya highlighted the importance of expanding the forum’s grassroots structure. “After this, we want to ensure there is PYIF representation in every local government of Plateau State so our activities can reach the grassroots,” he explained.
While acknowledging gaps in participants’ technical training, he assured that, “This is just a town hall. With time, we’ll organize sessions to equip them with the technical understanding of FoRB (Freedom of Religion or Belief) and the role of PYIF.”
Williams Ubimago, Project Manager for I-RENEW at Search for Common Ground, stressed the urgency of youth-driven peace efforts due to increasing religiously motivated violence in Nigeria.
“The project was birthed by recurring violent clashes linked to freedom of religion and belief,” Ubimago said, referencing the killing of Deborah Usman Bawa in Sokoto and attacks on religious minorities in Bauchi. “Religiously motivated conflict has become a bane in Nigeria.”
He explained that the project aims to “empower youth to play active roles in protecting FoRB, collaborate with civil society, and expand the reach of peace structures like the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency and Inter-Religious Council.”
Ubimago also addressed skepticism about repetitive training initiatives: “This initiative has been sustained and expanded. We are cascading lessons from our CGA modules to help youths resolve conflicts in their communities.”
Representing the Director General of the Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, Nanribet Longvwam, Team Lead for Peace Education, commended the youth’s commitment: “Young people are changing the narrative on the Plateau by promoting FoRB. We deeply appreciate the work of Search for Common Ground and PYIF.”
Longvwam conveyed DG Dr. Julie Sanda’s empathy to victims of recent violence in Riyom and drought-affected communities in Shendam, saying, “May God reward our peacebuilding efforts with lasting peace.”
He emphasized UN Resolution 2250, which encourages youth involvement in peace processes, noting: “It’s no longer just elders discussing peace. Young people are now key players. PYIF exemplifies this shift.”
He added that PPBA’s upcoming youth peace camp, in partnership with IFIT and GIZ, would further deepen youth involvement: “We’re leveraging the strength of youths—who make up over 65% of our communities—to foster peace.”
Godwin Okoko, Head of Program Implementation at SFCG Nigeria, encouraged participants to use their youthfulness for good. “Let your youthfulness drive peace,” he urged. “Youths are crucial change agents, and their energy must be harnessed positively to create a harmonious society.”
Panel Reflections
Sumayya Abubakar, PYIF Co-secretary, who led the panel discussion, described it as “fantastic and transformative.” She highlighted insights such as promoting shared humanity over division, and the role of education in combating extremism.
“We must amplify our similarities rather than our differences,” she said. “One panelist emphasized the need to go back to understanding our own religions, so we can distinguish between criminality, politics, and faith.”
She also highlighted the informal but powerful role women play in spreading FoRB concepts, saying, “Whether formally or informally, women ensure their peers understand religion and peaceful coexistence.”
Proposals from the Zones
During breakout sessions, participants from Plateau’s senatorial zones proposed practical steps for grassroots peacebuilding:
- Central Zone emphasized dialogue, advocacy, trust-building, and mentorship.
- Northern Zone called for qualified inter-religious leaders, trauma support, social media de-radicalization, and dignity for all religions.
- Southern Zone stressed the role of community stakeholders, identifying extremists, and promoting core values across faiths.
Takeaways and the Road Ahead
The PPBA summarized key recommendations:
- Peace advocacy through arts, sports, and culture
- Community peace clubs and dialogue forums
- Campaigns on mutual respect and conflict resolution
- Youth empowerment and skill acquisition
- Training in early warning and response systems
The I-RENEW program is scheduled to run for two years, as approved by the state government.
As the town hall concluded, the consensus was clear: young people across Plateau State are ready to lead the charge for religious tolerance and sustainable peace—if given the tools, platforms, and support.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has predicted rainy and sunny weather nationwide from Monday to Wednesday.
NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday predicted sunny skies over the northern region on Monday morning, with a chance of thunderstorms.
NiMet anticipated moderate rains over parts of Taraba and Adamawa.
According to the agency, isolated thunderstorms with moderate rainfall are possible over parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Adamawa, and Taraba during the afternoon or evening hours.
For the North-Central region, a cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is anticipated during the morning hours, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms and moderate rainfall over Niger, Kogi, Kwara, and the FCT.
There is a risk of thunderstorms with moderate rainfall over parts of the Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory later in the day.
NiMet envisaged a cloudy atmosphere over the southern region during the morning hours, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms and moderate rainfall over parts of Abia, Enugu, Edo, Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.
The agency predicted isolated thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains over parts of Oyo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Osun, Ekiti, Anambra, Ondo, Ogun, Edo, Imo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Lagos, Cross River and Akwa Ibom later in the day.
NiMet forecasted sunny skies over the northern region during the morning hours on Tuesday.
According to the agency, there is a possibility of thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rainfall over parts of Kaduna, Adamawa and Taraba during the afternoon and evening hours.
The agency predicted a cloudy atmosphere in the North-Central region, with intervals of sunshine in the morning.
There is a risk of thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rainfall over parts of Benue, the Federal Capital Territory, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Plateau during the afternoon or evening hours.
For the southern region, a cloudy atmosphere is anticipated during the morning hours, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms and light rains over parts of Enugu, Imo, Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom.
There is a possibility of isolated thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rainfall over parts of Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom States during the afternoon or evening hours.
NiMet predicted sunny skies over the northern region during the morning hours on Wednesday. It anticipated thunderstorms, with or without rain, over parts of Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Adamawa.
The agency predicted isolated thunderstorms accompanied by moderate rains over parts of Kaduna, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba and Adamawa later in the day.
NiMet predicted a cloudy atmosphere in the North-Central region, with intervals of sunshine anticipated during the morning hours.
There is a possibility of isolated thunderstorms with moderate rainfall over parts of Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Benue, and the Federal Capital Territory during the afternoon or evening hours.
For the southern region, a cloudy atmosphere with intervals of sunshine is anticipated during the morning hours.
Later in the day, thunderstorms with moderate rains are expected over the entire southern region.
NiMet urged the public to take adequate precautions and ensure that loose objects are secured to prevent collisions, as strong winds may precede rainfall in areas where thunderstorms are likely.
(NAN)
-
Events3 days agoPlateau community women stage naked protest over removal of traditional ruler by Gov Mutfwang
-
News3 days ago
Plateau Mine Gas Tragedy: FG Inaugurates 18-member Probe Panel
-
News3 days ago
New leaders, new fund: Sequoia has raised $7B to expand its AI bets
-
News3 days ago
Governor Mutfwang Meets Ex-Govs Amid Rising Insecurity in Plateau [PHOTOS]
