Against the backdrop of Nigeria’s rich but complex diversity, Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged citizens to embrace tolerance and peaceful coexistence as the pathway to national greatness. The Vice President made the call in Jos on Wednesday during a visit to the palace of the Gbong Gwom Jos and Chairman of the Plateau State Council of Chiefs and Emirs, Da Jacob Gyang-Buba, where discussions centred on unity, heritage and the shared destiny of the nation.
Speaking during the traditional homage, Shettima said Nigeria’s diversity should not be viewed as a fault line but as a powerful asset capable of propelling the country to global prominence if properly harnessed. According to him, the nation’s strength lies in its people’s ability to look beyond ethnic, religious and cultural differences to recognise a common identity. “We are all connected one way or the other.
We must, therefore, continue to live together. What binds us together supersedes what separates us,” the Vice President said. He noted that Nigerians share a collective heritage that outweighs the forces that seek to divide them, stressing that peace and mutual understanding remain critical to sustainable development.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said the visit underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to dialogue with traditional institutions as partners in promoting harmony across communities. The engagement in Jos, observers said, served as both a symbolic and practical reminder that national unity remains central to Nigeria’s progress.
