Archbishop of Canterbury Commends Kaduna State for Peace and Unity

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Portal Welby, has lauded the Kaduna State Government for its advancements in peace, unity, and stability. This commendation came during a courtesy call on Governor Uba Sani at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.

Governor Sani shared on his Facebook page on Saturday that the Archbishop's visit occurred alongside his participation as the Guest Speaker at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria Convocation Lecture. The governor highlighted that the visit held a significance beyond mere protocol and represented Kaduna State's evolving narrative.

Governor Sani noted that the Archbishop recalled his first visit to Kaduna in 2002, a period marked by intense ethno-religious tensions and frequent crises. In contrast, he observed the considerable progress the state has since made, specifically mentioning the relative peace, unity, and stability now prevalent in public life.

He further explained that Archbishop Welby's observations of this transformation prompted his visit to the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House. The visit aimed to recognize the current administration's efforts and encourage the continuation of its current policy direction.

“He explained that this transformation informed his decision to visit the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, both to acknowledge the efforts of our administration and to encourage us to sustain this path of reconciliation and cohesion,” the governor’s statement read.

Governor Sani expressed his deep gratitude to the Archbishop for the honour of his visit and for his insightful remarks. He also used the opportunity to elaborate on what his administration terms the Kaduna Peace Model.

“I took the opportunity to share insights into what has come to be known as the Kaduna Peace Model, an approach grounded in dialogue, inclusion, and fairness,” he stated. According to him, this model has yielded observable outcomes over the last two and a half years, most notably preventing ethno- religious conflicts in a state that was once widely associated with division.

“Over the past two and a half years, this model has yielded measurable results, most notably the absence of ethno-religious conflict in a state once synonymous with division,” he remarked.

Governor Sani emphasized that the peace achieved in Kaduna is not coincidental but rather the result of deliberate governmental decisions and a firm commitment to preventing identity issues from becoming a source of instability.

“This outcome has not been accidental; it is the product of deliberate governance choices and a steadfast refusal to allow identity to become a fault line for instability,” he asserted. He added that his administration has prioritized inclusive governance founded on equity, justice, and mutual respect.

“Our administration has anchored peace on inclusive governance, guided by equity, justice, and mutual respect,” the governor said. “We have prioritised dialogue over discord, participation over exclusion, and development that reaches every community.”

John Shiklam