Special Adviser to the President on Media & Policy Communications Daniel Bwala on Thursday spoke in Abuja, at the Nigeria First Unity Summit 2025 with the theme: “Peace, Unity and Security: A Collective Responsibility”, emphasizing the huge advantage that Nigeria has in her diversity. NewsQuest brings the excerpts;
I bring you the goodwill of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, a leader with a simple but uncompromising belief: “Nigeria is strongest when Nigerians choose unity over division, truth over propaganda, and nation over tribe.”
In a moment in history when conflict merchants feed on mistrust, this gathering is a testament of courage. I commend The Unity Project Nigeria (TUPN), the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), and the CityBoy Movement.You are building bridges where others build barricades. IPCR at 25 reminds us that peace is not merely the absence of conflict — it is the presence of justice, equity, and national empathy.
Diversity: The Power We Have Not Fully Used
Nigeria has misunderstood its greatest gift.
Our diversity is not a fault line — it is a powerful resource.
Many nations are struggling to become what Nigeria already is:
multiethnic, multifaith, multilingual, and multi-identity.
In the global economy of innovation, the countries that will dominate are those that convert cultural diversity into competitive advantage.
That is why President Tinubu insists: “No tribe will be left behind, and no region will be shut out.” In this administration, the architecture of federal appointments reflects intentional spread — connecting the federation to the reality of the six geopolitical zones, not a single bloc of power.
Unity is not sentimental — it is structural.
Unity is National Security
When unity breaks, security collapses.
Terror grows where trust dies. Crime thrives where institutions fail.
Ethnic tension fertilizes violence.
In today’s security architecture, mistrust has become a weapon.
Division is now a strategy used by extremist networks to recruit, radicalize, and manipulate communities. This is why the President has directed a whole-of-society security model, anchored on four pillars:
- Community-Based Security
– Revival of local intelligence networks
– Early warning & rapid response systems
– Strengthening traditional rulers as arbiters
- Economic Stabilization as Peace Strategy
– ₦200 billion SME expansion capital
– ₦50 billion Youth Enterprise Seed Fund
– Digital innovation zones in every region
– Agribusiness cooperative support
- Inclusive Governance
– Structured interfaith dialogue channels
– Protections against discrimination
– National values curriculum reform
- Human Security
– Food security reform
– Subsidized producer credit
– Wage reforms to reduce economic crime
Unity is the first layer of national defense.
A New Peace Consensus
The Tinubu administration rejects the outdated idea that security is owned by the military and police alone. Today, we operate a peace ecosystem, where every actor matters.
Government provides direction.
Security agencies provide protection.
Traditional rulers provide legitimacy.
Faith leaders provide moral authority. Civil society provides accountability.
And the youth provide imagination.
In this new paradigm every citizen is a peacekeeper, every community a stakeholder, and every disagreement an invitation to dialogue. Let us replace suspicion with conversation, prejudice with knowledge, and bitterness with justice.
Youth: The Makers of the Future
In this hall are the Nigerians who will shape this nation more than any constitution ever will. You are a generation born global — the internet is your first passport.
Your identity is not defined by borders — it is defined by dreams.
The President believes the youth are not the future — they are the present powering the future. That is why government policies are converting youthful energy into innovation:
– Student Loan Scheme now operational nationwide
– Digital Skills Academies aligned with industry demand
– National Creativity Fund supporting culture and arts
– Tech visa pathways bringing global innovators to Nigeria
A united youth population is a national superpower.
When a Hausa entrepreneur invests in an Igbo startup promoted by a Yoruba marketer — unity becomes economics, not just a slogan.
Culture: The Language of Peace
This summit is not just a policy dialogue — it is a festival of identity.
It celebrates our creativity and our diversity.
Art has the power to do what politics struggles to achieve:
reduce tension
create empathy
humanize “the other”
A nation that can sing together cannot easily turn against itself.
President Tinubu’s National Unity Doctrine
Let me state clearly the philosophy that informs the President’s national unity doctrine:
- Unity without justice is noise.
Fairness in appointments and opportunities is a duty.
- Security without inclusion is temporary.
Jobs, credit, and education sustain peace
- Peace without dialogue is fragile.
Interfaith harmony and community diplomacy are non-negotiable.
- Nation-building is never outsourced.
Citizens are the drivers of peacebuilding, not spectators.
Nigeria will stand — not because of one leader, but because millions choose unity over conflict.
A Message to Nigerians
Let me speak plainly:
If we weaponize tribe, we kill our future.
If we exploit religion, we provoke crisis.
If we promote hate, we invite war.
If we silence reason, we empower propaganda.
We must reject the politics of anxiety and embrace the politics of nationhood.
Let us disagree on policies — that is democracy.
But let us not disagree on the idea of Nigeria — that is nationhood.
Conclusion
Let this summit mark the beginning of a new national covenant — a covenant where:
We defend peace like we defend our homes.
We practice unity like we practice our faith.
We guard security like we guard our children.
Nigeria is not a mistake of geography — it is a miracle of destiny.
Our diversity is not a threat — it is an advantage.
Our unity is not negotiable — it is the foundation of our future.
Together, we can.
Together, we must.
Together, we will.
Thank you.
God bless you.
