The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, and Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, have called for greater unity, tolerance and cooperation among Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic, cultural and religious differences.
The Alaafin made the call on Saturday in the ancient city of Oyo during the commissioning of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Building and a fundraising ceremony for the construction of the Imam Daud Igi-Ogun Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies.
In a statement by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, Oba Owoade said stronger collaboration among religious leaders, government institutions and civil society organisations was necessary to promote peace, social welfare and inclusive development.
He said religious institutions, which enjoy the trust of many communities, could play a significant role in addressing poverty, environmental challenges, social inequality and other development concerns when their teachings are integrated with modern development frameworks.
The Alaafin stressed that unity in diversity remained essential for a country like Nigeria, given its rich ethnic and cultural composition.
“Accord, acceptance and understanding are necessary to counter conflictual division,” he said, urging Nigerians to abandon negative stereotypes and work together to address the challenges confronting the country.
He described unity as the willingness of members of a society to cooperate for collective progress, stressing that it should promote consensus while allowing room for disagreement without turning differences into conflict.
“In this country, we must continue to work towards exploring approaches to fostering unity in diversity, while embracing all the individualistic characteristics that make all the ethnicities of Nigeria part of one whole,” Oba Owoade said.
He added that unity should mean “unity without uniformity, and diversity without fragmentation,” while urging Nigerians to respect the languages, cultures, traditions and identities of different communities.
The monarch also called on wealthy Nigerians to devote resources to supporting vulnerable people and restoring hope among those facing difficult circumstances.
He said religion remained an important source of hope and succour for people despite criticisms against religious institutions, adding that Islam and Christianity had a responsibility to reach out to people in need.
Oba Owoade commended the founder and proprietor of the Islamic institute, Sheikh Daud Igi-Ogun, for his peaceful and developmental initiatives, describing them as worthy of emulation by younger generations.
He also praised Governor Adeleke for what he described as his visionary administration and efforts to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of residents of Osun State.
Responding, Adeleke commended the Alaafin’s initiatives towards promoting peace, unity and stability in Yorubaland, describing him as a “monarch to behold.”
Earlier, Sheikh Igi-Ogun thanked God for the establishment of the institute, saying religious education could contribute to peace, moral integrity and national development when taught through rational, universal and just principles.
He said positive religious teachings could strengthen social bonds, promote community development and encourage honesty and moral responsibility among citizens.
