UK Special Envoy Concludes Visit to Nigeria, Calls for Greater Religious Tolerance
The United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), David Smith, has concluded a three-day visit to Abuja, marking Nigeria as the first focus country visited under the UK’s FoRB strategy.
During the visit, Smith held meetings with senior Nigerian government officials, religious leaders, civil society organisations, and local communities, underscoring the UK’s commitment to strengthening partnerships on freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria.
The envoy met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang.
He also met with the co-chairmen of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, including Daniel Okoh and Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, who is also President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
Speaking at the end of the visit, Smith said he was honoured to engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including government officials, faith leaders, civil society groups, and local communities.
According to him, the visit provided an opportunity to understand how freedom of religion or belief is experienced in everyday life and how it relates to broader challenges surrounding security and national cohesion.
He described his visit to Father Emmanuel Unamba’s parish, where Christian and Muslim neighbours live peacefully side by side, as one of the most memorable moments of the trip.
Smith stressed the importance of ensuring that progress on religious freedom remains Nigerian-led, driven by strong institutions and inclusive dialogue, with FoRB at the centre of peacebuilding efforts.
The visit also featured a roundtable with partners involved in the UK-funded Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme, a £38 million conflict and resilience initiative operating mainly in Kaduna, Katsina, Benue and Plateau states.
As part of his engagements, the envoy met with officials of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the National Human Rights Commission, and several civil society organisations working on insecurity and religious freedom. He also visited the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja.
Smith called for greater religious tolerance across Nigeria and expressed hope that the peaceful coexistence witnessed at the community level in Abuja could be replicated nationwide.
The visit builds on the outcome of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom in March 2026, which reinforced the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership and featured interfaith engagements attended by President Tinubu and King Charles III.
