During the conference “2019 Election and National Security: The Role of Interfaith Communities” hosted by the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) with the support of the Vienna-based International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) on 15 January 2019, religious leaders met to discuss their role in stopping hate speech and how they can coordinate their efforts and messages to prevent conflict through preaching solidarity and understanding.

The IDFP urged Nigerians to discourage hate speech because religion is a central factor in the election, and called on politicians and public servants to withhold from instigating religious and ethnic tensions and concentrate on good governance anchored in justice, equity and respect for human rights.

This meeting was the second annual meeting of the General Assembly of the IDFP. The meeting will be followed by regular meetings of select bodies of the IDFP throughout 2019 that will coordinate the implementation of their Action Plan, which focuses on the promotion of interfaith education, freedom of religion, the protection of holy sites, interfaith exchanges, media sensitisation and countering hate speech.