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| Gov. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa & Supporters |
In a gesture that underscores the growing emphasis on structured interfaith dialogue in Nigeria’s Southwest, Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has pledged his administration’s full support for the 11th General Assembly of the Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN).
The commitment came during a high-level courtesy visit to the Governor’s Office in Akure by a MUSWEN delegation led by its President, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, who also serves as Deputy President-General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
The assembly is scheduled for November 15, 2026, at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque Hall. Aiyedatiwa said he would coordinate with his Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami, and other Ondo State representatives to ensure the state government’s support is effectively communicated and delivered. Beyond the immediate logistical backing, the governor announced plans to establish an Ondo State chapter of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), a 14-member body with equal representation of seven Christian and seven Muslim leaders. The council is designed to identify and address religious disputes early, before they escalate into broader tensions requiring heavier government intervention.
This dual pledge—backing a major regional Muslim gathering while institutionalizing interfaith mechanisms—reflects more than ceremonial courtesy. It points to a deliberate governance approach in a state where Christians and Muslims form significant communities, and where past local disputes have tested social cohesion.
The Meeting and Its Messages
Oladejo used the visit to press for sustained collaboration between the state government and the Muslim community in key developmental areas: education, youth empowerment, healthcare, poverty reduction, and economic inclusion. He argued that regular consultations would allow religious organisations to contribute meaningfully to public policy while helping government address community-level concerns more effectively.
Investment in education, vocational training, and skills acquisition, he stressed, is essential to prepare young people for productive lives.
Partnerships involving government, religious bodies, and the private sector could expand opportunities. Policies improving healthcare access, creating employment, and protecting vulnerable citizens would, in his view, strengthen public confidence and social stability.
A particularly pointed note of appreciation concerned the resolution of the long-running crisis in the Ikare-Akoko Muslim community. The dispute, which lasted more than three years and led to the closure of the central mosque, had strained local relations.
MUSWEN’s Mediation and Reconciliation Committee had visited the area to mediate, receiving assistance from the Commissioner for Local Government and the Chairman of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board. The state government’s eventual intervention brought the crisis to an end—an outcome Oladejo described as clear evidence of the value of cooperation between government and religious institutions.
Aiyedatiwa, for his part, emphasised continuous engagement as the foundation of peaceful coexistence. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to inclusivity and equal rights for all citizens regardless of religious background. He also acknowledged that the NIREC chapter had been a longstanding request from the Chief Imam of Akure, Sheikh Abdul-Hakeem Yayi-Akorede, and assured the delegation that the body would be established as soon as possible.
“Before tension begins to build up on issues of concern, it will have been trashed and brought to the attention of the government so that it can be resolved,” he said, according to reports of the meeting. He further noted the importance of regular meetings among religious leaders for mutual understanding, observing that “nobody is perfect” and that continuous engagement is how communities learn to live together harmoniously.
Those present included Deputy Governor Adelami, Chief of Staff Prince Segun Omojuwa, Attorney-General Dr. Kayode Ajulo, and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Alhaji Amidu Takuro, signalling the seriousness with which the state treated the engagement.
Understanding MUSWEN and the Stakes of Its Assembly
MUSWEN is the umbrella body for Muslims across the six Southwest states—Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo. Formed in 2008 after years of efforts to create a credible regional leadership structure (building on earlier initiatives including a 2004 leadership roundtable), it brings together state Muslim councils and communities as well as major Islamic organisations such as Ansar-Ud-Deen, NASFAT, the Muslim Student’s Society of Nigeria, FOMWAN, and others.
Its objectives centre on promoting Islamic ideals, fostering unity among Muslims in the zone, serving as a collective voice, advancing education and social welfare, and contributing to broader peaceful coexistence and national development.
Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo has led the organisation since November 2020, succeeding the late Dr. Sakariyau Olayiwola Babalola. The November 2026 assembly marks the end of his six-year tenure, with delegates expected to ratify a leadership transition. The gathering will also feature an annual lecture, expected to be delivered by Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Zulum, and will draw invitations to high-profile figures including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, and the governors of the Southwest states (with Oyo’s Seyi Makinde listed as chief host).
A central focus is fundraising: MUSWEN is targeting N2 billion to support empowerment programmes for the needy, construction of a state-of-the-art health facility, and scholarships for members of the Muslim community. These priorities align with broader concerns about economic hardship, youth unemployment, and access to education and healthcare across the region. Oladejo’s call during the Akure visit for deeper partnership in precisely these areas therefore sits within a larger organisational strategy that seeks to move beyond advocacy into tangible socio-economic impact.
NIREC: From National Body to State-Level Early Warning System
The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council was established in 1999 amid recurring ethno-religious crises that marked Nigeria’s return to civilian rule. Originally comprising 50 members (25 Christian and 25 Muslim), it later expanded to accommodate more women and youth, reaching 60 members. Co-chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto (as President-General of the NSCIA) and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), NIREC was designed as a permanent, independent forum for religious leaders and traditional rulers to promote interaction, understanding, and sustainable peace.
Its record has been mixed. Periods of visibility and mediation efforts have alternated with stretches of reduced activity and questions about its effectiveness amid ongoing national security and communal challenges. Establishing functional state chapters, as prioritised by the newly appointed Executive Secretary Professor Muibi Opeloye (who was part of the MUSWEN delegation), represents an attempt to take the dialogue closer to communities where tensions often originate.
In Ondo, a 14-member balanced council could serve as a practical early-warning and mediation mechanism. The state’s experience with the Ikare-Akoko mosque crisis—closed in October 2022 under the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu amid a leadership tussle over the chief imam, and reopened in March 2026 under Aiyedatiwa with the reinstatement of Sheikh Abubakar Muhammed Abbas—illustrates both the costs of unresolved disputes and the benefits of decisive intervention. While some local stakeholders initially contested aspects of the resolution, the reopening restored a central place of worship and was widely welcomed as a step toward normalcy. Formalising interfaith structures could help prevent similar prolonged disruptions.
Broader Context and Governance Implications
Ondo State, like much of the Southwest, is religiously plural. Effective governance requires managing diversity without privileging any group.
Aiyedatiwa, who hails from the coastal Ilaje community in an oil-bearing area, rose through business (founding the Blue Wall Group of Companies) and politics, serving as deputy governor under Akeredolu before assuming the governorship. His administration has emphasised continuity in some areas while putting its own stamp on others, including infrastructure, workers’ welfare, and now more explicit institutionalisation of interfaith engagement.
The pledge to MUSWEN and the NIREC commitment fit a pattern of outreach that seeks to build confidence across communities.
Religious organisations often command significant grassroots trust and organisational capacity. Partnering with them on education, skills training, healthcare outreach, and youth programmes can amplify government efforts, particularly in an environment of economic pressure. At the same time, government support for major assemblies and formal dialogue platforms signals that the state views religious leaders as partners in stability rather than merely stakeholders to be managed.
Challenges remain. National-level NIREC has sometimes struggled with visibility and impact.
State chapters will need clear mandates, adequate facilitation, and genuine buy-in from both Christian and Muslim leadership to avoid becoming symbolic. Leadership transitions within MUSWEN itself will test the organisation’s institutional maturity. And broader regional issues—economic hardship, insecurity, youth unemployment—cannot be solved by interfaith councils alone.
Nevertheless, the Akure meeting offers a constructive model: open engagement, specific requests matched by concrete commitments, acknowledgment of past successes (Ikare), and forward-looking institutional design (NIREC chapter). As the November 15 assembly approaches, with its high-profile guests and ambitious fundraising goals, Aiyedatiwa’s stated support positions Ondo as an active participant in regional Muslim organisational life while advancing structures intended to benefit the entire multi-religious population of the state.
In a country where religious identity can quickly become politicised, the quiet work of building platforms for early dialogue and joint problem-solving remains essential. The governor’s pledges suggest an understanding that peaceful coexistence is not automatic—it requires continuous engagement, institutional scaffolding, and a willingness to treat religious communities as partners in development. Whether the NIREC chapter is stood up promptly and the support for the MUSWEN assembly translates into tangible collaboration will determine how much lasting value this particular engagement ultimately delivers.
Samuel O. Sulaimon is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Naijapiz. He covers Global, News, Sports, Finance, Faiths, Education, Politics and Technology.
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