President Bola Tinubu will tomorrow declare open an international conference on security and national unity, organised by Jama’atuIzalatilBidiahwaIqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS Nigeria), in collaboration with the Muslim World League, Saudi Arabia.

The conference, scheduled to be held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, will examine global security within the context of Nigeria’s national security, with particular focus on kidnapping and banditry, which currently pose significant threats to the country’s national security.

According to a statement by the media and publicity committee of the conference’s planning committee, the event, themed “Diversity and Peaceful Coexistence Among People,” is expected to promote unity among Muslims irrespective of sects .

The others are to foster unity among Muslims across ethnic and tribal lines, and promote peaceful coexistence with people of other religions in accordance with the teachings of Islam.

“We can hold on to our respective sects while respecting Muslims of other sects. Fighting among sects weakens the Muslim Ummah as a whole,” the statement noted.

“Regardless of tribe or ethnicity, Muslims must treat each other as brothers and sisters in Islam – no insults, no provocative statements. Muslims can defend their preferred sect without denigrating other sects.”

The conference is billed to commence at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday and conclude at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a national preaching session at the JIBWIS headquarters in Utako, Abuja, on Wednesday evening, which will continue through the night. Participants are expected to depart for their respective destinations on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, will serve as the royal father of the day, while state governors, ministers, national and state legislators, Islamic scholars and traditional rulers, among others, are expected to attend the event.

The statement also noted that the conference was designed to foster dialogue, strengthen partnerships and develop sustainable approaches to addressing emerging security challenges while advancing socio-economic development.

According to the statement, “the initiative builds on previous engagements between Islamic and Christian leaders and reinforces the belief that religious and cultural diversity can serve as a catalyst for unity, stability and societal progress.”