The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has stressed the need for the global community to adopt the right perspective on Nigeria’s challenges to enable appropriate solutions.

Tinubu said this on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting with the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt. Rev. Justin Welby, at the State House.

She noted that as efforts to promote peace and harmony among diverse groups in Nigeria continued, the international community must support such initiatives by refraining from inaccurate portrayals of the country’s security situation.

The First Lady commended Welby for acknowledging that Nigeria’s challenges should primarily be addressed by Nigerians who best understand the nation’s peculiarities.

“Listening to one side of the story and drawing conclusions is a wrong approach to conflict resolution.

“Thank you for opening up this interfaith dialogue. I believe you should also invite not only Christians and Muslims but security agencies to share their efforts,” she said.

Tinubu also commended the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies for their continued sacrifices and commitment to safeguarding the nation.

She further urged the global Church to promote sound teachings capable of encouraging responsible conduct among citizens.

In his remarks, Welby said his visit was aimed at contributing to discussions on peace and security in Nigeria, while strengthening the country’s image as a nation that safeguards freedom of worship.

He said progress could be achieved through an interfaith dialogue being convened by the Global Forum for Peace, Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of Sheikh Abdallah Bin Bayyah, scheduled to hold next week in London.

Welby explained that the dialogue would bring together 12 Christian and 12 Muslim leaders to encourage mutual listening and develop practical solutions to interfaith conflicts in Nigeria and beyond.

“We want to contribute to the efforts of President Bola Tinubu in promoting peace through interfaith engagement. Our goal is enduring peace.

“I am here to help prepare the ground for the dialogue and make sure the meeting addresses all that it should,” he said.

The former Archbishop was accompanied on the visit by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Richard Montgomery.

The meeting followed a state visit to the United Kingdom by President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady about a month ago, during which interfaith engagements and a church service at Lambeth Palace formed part of the First Lady’s itinerary.

In a related development, the First Lady also received the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, who briefed her on progress recorded under the ministry’s Girls in Tech programme.

Tijani told State House correspondents that the First Lady would soon host a dinner in Abuja to showcase innovations and solutions developed by participants of the programme.

He added that she also endorsed a campaign aimed at deepening internet penetration and connectivity in rural and riverine communities.