COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE
1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RETHINKING ETHNIC RELATIONS IN NIGERIA AND
BRIDGING THE GAPS: FROM CULTURAL, LINGUISTIC AND LITERARY PERSPECTIVES
Organised by:
School of Secondary Education (Languages) (SOSEL),
Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau, Zamfara
State
In Collaboration with:
Department of Languages and Cultures,
Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State
Date: 21st–24th
August 2026
Venue: Late Kabir Danbaba Hall, Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria
Preamble
The 1st
International Conference on Rethinking Ethnic Relations in Nigeria and Bridging
the Gaps: From Cultural, Linguistic and Literary Perspectives was convened by
the School of Secondary Education (Languages) (SOSEL), Federal College of
Education (Technical), Gusau, in collaboration with the Department of Languages
and Cultures, Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, from 21st to 24th August
2026.
The conference
brought together scholars, researchers, educators, students, practitioners,
traditional and religious stakeholders, and other participants to examine the
historical, cultural, linguistic, literary, educational, religious, political,
digital, security, and socioeconomic dimensions of ethnic relations in Nigeria
and to identify practical pathways towards peaceful coexistence, national
integration, and shared citizenship.
The conference
was premised on the recognition that Nigeria's diversity is not inherently a
national problem; the challenge lies in how diversity is managed politically,
economically, educationally, culturally, linguistically, legally, and
institutionally. Participants therefore affirmed that national integration
should not erase legitimate identities, but should create fair institutions and
social relationships in which identity does not become a basis for exclusion,
collective blame, discrimination, insecurity, or unequal citizenship.
Key Deliberations
Participants
recognised the long history of interaction among Nigerian communities through
trade, migration, scholarship, religion, intermarriage, artistic exchange,
urban life, and shared institutions. Ethnicity was affirmed as a legitimate
source of belonging, memory, language, values, and worldview, but as socially
dangerous when transformed into a gatekeeping mechanism for access to
opportunity, justice, security, land, education, employment, or full
citizenship.
The conference
observed that ethnic tension is often intensified by structural conditions such
as insecurity, uneven development, unemployment, political exclusion, economic
inequality, weak local governance, and unequal access to public goods.
Banditry, kidnapping, farmer–herder tensions, communal violence, and
displacement were therefore understood not only as security challenges but also
as threats to agriculture, trade, education, food security, livelihoods,
investment, and social trust.
Language was
recognised as infrastructure for citizenship through which people access
education, public information, justice, political participation, health
information, knowledge, and technology. Nigeria’s multilingualism was affirmed
as a national resource, while multilingual and intercultural education,
culturally responsive curricula, peace education, critical media literacy, and
appropriate classroom code-switching and code-mixing were identified as useful
means of strengthening inclusion and intercultural understanding.
Participants
further recognised literature, drama, poetry, oral traditions, proverbs, music,
film, storytelling, translation, libraries, and other cultural institutions as resources
for peacebuilding, empathy, indigenous knowledge, and dialogue. Religious and
ethical traditions were likewise identified as resources for human equality,
justice, moderation, mutual recognition, compassion, and respect for
difference, while the manipulation of religion or ethnicity to justify
hostility or violence was rejected.
The conference
expressed concern over the use of social media for ethnic stereotyping,
collective blame, historical distortion, inflammatory mobilisation, and digital
echo chambers. At the same time, digital platforms were recognised as potential
spaces for multilingual fact-checking, counter-speech, cultural exchange, and
peacebuilding. Participants consequently called for a shift from ceremonial
“unity in diversity” towards practical equity in diversity, grounded in fair
institutions, linguistic inclusion, cultural reciprocity, responsible
leadership, social justice, and shared citizenship.
Resolutions and Recommendations
After extensive
deliberations, the conference resolved as follows:
1. Promotion of Linguistic Justice and Multilingual Education
The conference
recommends policies that promote equitable participation across Nigeria’s
linguistic communities. Indigenous Nigerian languages should be strengthened in
foundational education, literacy, public communication, translation,
broadcasting, and digital domains, while maintaining the important roles of
English, Nigerian Pidgin, regional lingua francas, and other widely used
languages. Learners should also be encouraged, where practicable, to acquire
another Nigerian language for intercultural understanding and civic
consciousness.
2. Intercultural and Peace-Oriented Teacher Education
Teacher-education
institutions should prepare teachers for multilingual and culturally diverse
classrooms through multilingual pedagogy, intercultural competence, peace
education, critical media literacy, culturally responsive teaching, and
responsible use of educational technologies. Teachers should be equipped to use
appropriate language alternation constructively, challenge stereotypes, and
present diversity as a resource for learning and national cohesion.
3. Strengthening Reciprocal Cultural Literacy
The conference
recommends deliberate exposure to the histories, cultures, languages,
literature, intellectual traditions, religious experiences, and everyday
realities of communities beyond one’s immediate ethnic environment. Educational
and cultural programmes should move beyond conflict-oriented narratives and
cultivate reciprocity, empathy, mutual respect, and recognition that the
dignity and wellbeing of other communities strengthen Nigerian society as a
whole.
4. Promotion of Equal Citizenship, Justice and Inclusive Governance
The conference
calls for stronger institutions that guarantee equal citizenship and reduce
discrimination based on ethnic, linguistic, regional, religious, or cultural
identity. Access to public goods, education, employment, security, justice,
economic opportunities, property, and public services should be fair and
transparent. Nigeria’s legal and cultural plurality should be managed in ways
that respect legitimate traditions while safeguarding constitutional rights,
human dignity, and equal protection.
5. Addressing Insecurity, Livelihoods and Structural Inequality
Persistent
insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, farmer–herder conflict, communal violence,
and displacement require integrated responses combining effective and
accountable security, protection of farming and trading activities, livelihood
restoration, youth employment, social protection, improved local governance,
equitable development, and sustained reconciliation. Ethnic tensions cannot be
sustainably reduced without addressing the structural grievances on which
divisive mobilisation often feeds.
6. Rejection of Collective Blame, Stereotyping and Retaliatory
Violence
The conference
strongly rejects attributing criminality, terrorism, violence, or moral
deficiency to entire communities on the basis of the actions of individuals or
criminal networks. Public discourse should distinguish individual
responsibility from collective identity. Retaliatory violence, collective
punishment, dehumanising labels, hate speech, and narratives that convert
legitimate grievances into hostility against whole ethnic, linguistic,
regional, or religious communities should be rejected.
7. Strengthening Inter-Ethnic Dialogue and Community Reconciliation
Sustained
dialogue should be promoted at local, state, regional, and national levels to
address grievances relating to security, political representation, resource
allocation, land use, mobility, livelihood, and social inclusion. Community
exchanges, student programmes, collaborative projects, professional networks,
cultural encounters, and other voluntary interactions should be encouraged to
deepen interpersonal trust and social cooperation across ethnic boundaries.
8. Revitalising Indigenous Peacebuilding and Traditional Institutions
Traditional
rulers, community leaders, elders, religious authorities, and other trusted
local institutions should be supported in culturally grounded mediation,
reconciliation, and early conflict prevention. Indigenous mechanisms such as
Sulhu, communal dialogue, restorative practices, oral wisdom, and locally
recognised arrangements for managing shared resources should be studied,
revitalised where appropriate, and linked constructively with contemporary
peacebuilding and legal frameworks.
9. Harnessing Religious Moderation, Justice and Mutual Recognition
Religious
institutions should promote human equality, justice, moderation, compassion,
mutual recognition, and respect for legitimate difference. Curricula, sermons,
and interfaith initiatives should reject ethnic superiority, religious bigotry,
extremism, and the use of faith to justify exclusion or violence, while
strengthening peaceful inter-ethnic relations and responsible citizenship.
10. Harnessing Literature, Drama, Oral Traditions and Cultural
Institutions for Peace
The conference
affirms literature and the creative arts as instruments of social reflection,
empathy, peace education, and reform. Poetry, drama, storytelling, proverbs,
oral traditions, music, film, translation, festivals, theatre, museums,
libraries, and cultural centres should be used to challenge stereotypes,
preserve indigenous wisdom, humanise other communities, and create accessible
spaces for dialogue, reconciliation, and shared cultural learning.
11. Responsible Digital Media, Counter-Speech and Platform
Accountability
The conference
recommends stronger digital literacy, multilingual fact-checking, ethical
journalism, responsible political communication, culturally sensitive
counter-speech, and evidence-based counter-narratives. Social-media platforms
and relevant institutions should improve transparent and fair mechanisms for
addressing incitement and coordinated harmful content while respecting
legitimate expression and avoiding discriminatory enforcement.
12. Responsible Use of Technology and Artificial Intelligence
Emerging
technologies, including artificial intelligence, should support the
documentation, teaching, translation, revitalisation, and digital presence of
Nigerian languages and cultures. Their development and use should address
linguistic inclusion, cultural sensitivity, representational bias, data
availability, teacher preparedness, ethical use, and appropriate human
oversight so that technology reduces rather than reproduces existing
inequalities.
13. Promotion of Inter-Ethnic Scholarship, Historical Accuracy and
Research
The conference
recommends interdisciplinary research into historical relationships, migration,
intermarriage, cultural exchange, linguistic interaction, trade networks,
literary traditions, religious encounters, legal pluralism, digital discourse,
and indigenous peace architectures. Higher education institutions should
support comparative scholarship, reliable historical documentation, translation
across Nigerian languages, and evidence-based engagement with both romanticised
and distorted narratives.
14. Responsible Leadership and National Cooperation
Political
leaders, academics, teachers, writers, broadcasters, religious and traditional
leaders, professionals, civil-society actors, and digital influencers should
model fairness, reciprocity, and bridge-building rather than exploit ethnic
fear for political, social, or economic advantage. Nigeria’s geopolitical zones
should be treated as corridors of exchange and cooperation, and national
development should be framed around what Nigerians can build together rather
than what one group can gain at another’s expense.
Concluding Statement
The conference
concludes that Nigeria’s diversity should be understood as a potential source
of human knowledge, cultural creativity, social resilience, economic networks,
and shared possibilities rather than principally as a burden. Diversity becomes
destructive when managed through exclusion, inequity, collective blame,
manipulation, or institutional unfairness; it becomes productive when supported
by justice, dialogue, mutual respect, and equal citizenship.
The conference
therefore calls upon governments, educational institutions, traditional
institutions, religious bodies, civil-society organisations, cultural
institutions, the media, technology platforms, researchers, and citizens to
translate these deliberations into sustained policies and practices that
strengthen security, equitable citizenship, linguistic inclusion, cultural
reciprocity, responsible communication, social justice, and peaceful
inter-ethnic relations.
National unity does not require Nigerians to become culturally or
linguistically identical. Nigerians should remain firmly rooted in their own
legitimate identities while recognising and protecting the dignity, rights, and
aspirations of other communities. The conference consequently urges all
stakeholders to move beyond slogans of unity towards practical equity in
diversity and to transform the insights generated through the conference into
research, education, public policy, community initiatives, digital practices,
and everyday relationships that strengthen peaceful coexistence, national
cohesion, and sustainable development.
Issued at Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria
24th August 2026
______________________________
Conference Chair
Conference Secretary
For and on behalf of the Conference
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