There are different avenues and different spaces where these conversations can take place and are already taking place. As one of the previous speakers already mentioned, religious actors and community leaders in Nigeria—in Africa in general, but in Nigeria most especially, as Nigeria is a very religious society—play a significant role in identifying and working with their communities. In different surveys that have been conducted in Nigeria, when citizens were asked who they trusted at the local level, many of them said they trusted their community leaders, traditional leaders or religious leaders before they mentioned their trust of security actors.
The international community can create a space where these actors can come together and really be able to dialogue. Nigeria is a very important country when it comes to U.S.-Nigeria relations or Canada-Nigeria relations, or when Nigeria stands as a country in the international community of nations. It is time to have a dialogue with Nigeria at a breadth that is honest and brings in different actors within the country that may have felt left out of these conversations. Bring people together for real, honest dialogue.
There is an opportunity here. There is a space here to do it. The time is also right to have this type of discussion. I know this cycle of violence has gone on for too long, and I think people across the board in Nigeria—regardless of their religious background, be they Christian or Muslim—have a broad acknowledgement that the levels of insecurity are very high. You will find a willingness in the Nigerian people to engage.