Nigeria’s prominent faith-based youth bodies the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN) and the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) forged an unprecedented alliance on Friday by signing a joint Peace Accord to eliminate electoral violence and religious division ahead of the 2027 general elections.
​The symbolic signing took place on the morning of Friday, September 4, 2026, during the opening of the three-day 2026 National Christian Youth Security Summit and Thanksgiving Service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
Held under the theme “Empowered for Leadership, Service and Nation Building,” the conference drew delegates across all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), five CAN blocs, and six geopolitical zones.
​Speaking on behalf of Christian youth, the National Chairman of YOWICAN (West Zone), Ven. Evang. Ademola Arowolo, described the accord as a “covenant of hope” intended to establish non-violent political engagement from the national level down to grassroots communities.
​”This Peace Accord represents more than a document,” Arowolo declared. “It is a covenant of hope, a declaration of unity, and a collective commitment by Christian and Muslim youths to work together in promoting peace, justice, dialogue, tolerance, and national development. God Himself does not divide us; human beings divide us in their own mindsets.”
​Echoing this pledge, Sani Sulaiman-Maigoro, National President of NACOMYO, urged young Nigerians to reject politicians who treat youth as expendable political tools.
​”First and foremost is for us to accept the reality that we are first Nigerians,” Sulaiman-Maigoro stated. “We are moving towards another election, and it should be a period when none of you will be used as a sacrificial lamb. We don’t want any politician to use you and waste your life. When we work together, we are able to defeat those few people who choose to be evil and divide us.”
​The summit featured key security and ecclesiastical mandates: President of CAN, Most Rev. Daniel Okoh, represented by Rev. Simon Dolly (Secretary-General, NOCRELA) warned young citizens against becoming instruments of destruction, urging President Bola Tinubu’s administration to expand youth leadership opportunities to avoid “accidental leaders.”
Ministry of Defence; Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), represented by Special Adviser on Security and Intelligence Musa Likita, emphasized a whole-of-society security framework, noting that economic innovation requires an environment free from extremist exploitation.
Former YOWICAN National President Engr. Daniel Kadzai exhorted youth to actively report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, reiterating that “security is everybody’s business.”
