The United Nations is presently exploring ways to increase better collaboration with the inter faith organisation as a means to reducing challenges in the area of security and health.

Acting Health Minister, Dr Khaliru Alhassan who spoke during a side meeting at the United Nations General Assembly noted that Nigeria has benefitted greatly from collaborating with interfaith organisations especially in the areas of security and health.

Nigeria already has compounded faith-based groups nationwide into the Nigerian Inter-faith Action Association (NIFAA)-otherwise known as Inter-Faith, which unites leaders in Christianity and Islam in the fight against poverty and disease.

The side meeting was organised by the Centre for Global Health and Diplomacy conference in New York, wherein Dr Alhassan said faith-based groups “can solve the nitty-gritty issues in communities.”

“We believe Inter-Faith is working, and yielding a lot of positive results, what we need to do is to strengthen our partnership with these organisations,” he said about the role of faith-based organisations in international health partnerships.

Khaliru said: “We have a lot of contact with religious leaders. We have a powerful Inter-Faith organisation.

A lot of ordinary citizens will listen to them more than the government.” Nigeria’s Inter-Faith engagement of religious communities focuses on malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, polio, and poverty impact.