UK Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief concludes visit to Nigeria

*David Smith MP, United Kingdom Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief rounds off a three-day visit to Abuja, assuring the UK will continue to support practical efforts at ensuring greater peace, security and prosperity for all in Nigeria

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

David Smith MP, United Kingdom (UK) Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) has concluded a three-day visit to Abuja.

Smith’s official visit to the country made Nigeria the first focus country the Special Envoy has visited under the UK’s FoRB strategy.

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During the visit, Smith MP held a wide range of meetings with senior Nigerian Government officials, religious leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and local communities.

The UK High Commission said the approach reflected the country’s commitment to sustained, practical engagement, and partnership on freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria.

Meetings also included discussions with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu; Honourable Minister for Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, and Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State.

The Special Envoy also met with the Co-Chairs of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and HRH the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, President-General of the National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.

Special Envoy speaks on experience after visit to Nigeria

Relating his experience during the visit to Nigeria, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, Senior Communications and Public Diplomacy Officer at Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)/ British High Commission, in a statement Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Abuja, disclosed at the end of the visit, Smith MP said: “Over the past few days, I have been honoured to meet a wide range of people — from senior government figures and civil society to faith leaders and local communities.

“I came to listen, learn, and see both how freedom of religion or belief is experienced in everyday life, and how it connects to – and is a core part of addressing – Nigeria’s wider challenges around security and cohesion.”

The Special Envoy stated: “Some of the most powerful moments of this visit were at community level.

“Visiting Father Emmanuel Unamba’s parish and meeting Christian and Muslim neighbours living side by side was a real reminder that peaceful coexistence is something people build every day through leadership, dialogue, and shared responsibility.”

He also averred: “What I take away from this visit is the importance of further progress being Nigerian led, rooted in strong institutions and inclusive dialogue, with FoRB at its heart.

“The UK will continue to support practical efforts at ensuring greater peace, security and prosperity for all.”

The statement noted the visit also included a roundtable with partners of the UK’s Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRiNG) programme, a £38 million UK government-funded conflict and resilience programme operating primarily in Kaduna, Katsina, Benue and Plateau states.

The UK Mission equally revealed during the visit, Special Envoy Smith MP held meetings with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and Civil Society Organisations working at the intersection of insecurity and religious freedom.

Besides, Smith visited the National Mosque and the National Ecumenical Centre, in Abuja.

Speaking to the various stakeholders, the statement indicated Smith advocated greater tolerance across religion or belief in Nigeria, and hoped that the cohesion he saw on a community level in the capital, could be achieved nation-wide with the same resolve.

The UK Mission said he hoped to continue these dialogues with interlocutors in the UK. The visit builds on the momentum of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent State Visit to the United Kingdom March 2026.

The Mission said Tinubu’s visit reinforced the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership, and included interfaith events attended by Nigerian President and His Majesty The King.

The partnership underlined both countries’ shared commitment to fostering constructive interfaith dialogue, the statement added.

About FoRB

The Special Envoy launched the UK approach to FoRB, which provides a framework for the two countries’ engagement July 2025.

Nigeria is a focus country within this strategy reflecting the priority the UK places on supporting Nigerian-led efforts to strengthen FoRB and reduce religiously linked violence.

The UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership, signed in 2024, covers economic and trade cooperation, security and defence, migration and justice, development, and people-to-people links.

The UK’s SPRiNG programme is a £38 million FCDO-funded conflict and resilience initiative operating in Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, and Plateau states.

It supports locally led peacebuilding, early warning systems, and inclusive dispute resolution, addressing the root causes of intercommunal violence and strengthening communities’ resilience.

Between 2024 and 2025, UK support in Taraba State helped facilitate a locally agreed settlement to reduce intercommunal violence.

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