Kaduna needs 'quality religious education' to end conflicts - El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai says Kaduna State is in great need of quality religious education owing to its years of struggles with religious conflicts.

The state is one of the most affected by ethno-religious clashes across Nigeria, a volatile security situation not completely contained and still claiming lives.

El-Rufai said relevant stakeholders must cooperate to improve interfaith relations in his remarks at the foundation laying ceremony for the permanent site of the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian–Muslim Relations on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.

The 61-year-old said his administration is committed towards promoting religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence. 

He said, "Education removes the temptation to construe one faith as the repudiation of the other or as an inferior way to relate to God. 

"Education is a powerful weapon for promoting a common humanity. It helps to remind us mere mortals that the God who created us all invented diversity. 

"Not one of us can be wiser than the Almighty. We should practise our various faiths without seeking to injure or destroy those who worship differently."

Governor El-Rufai praised the founder of the centre, Right Reverend Dr Josiah Idowu Fearon, and asked that everyone contribute to ensure the institution's completion.