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<p>Abbas Yushau Yusuf</p><div class="xQHKavQD" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>Journalists have been urged to use their platforms to promote peace and unity through sports as preparations intensify ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The call was made during an interactive media session organized by Sahel Sports News in collaboration with the Kano State Library Board, and powered by the Fortress Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy (FOCHPA) and the Peace Initiative Network (PIN).</p>
<p>Delivering a keynote paper, Comrade Abbas Ibrahim, former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kano Council, emphasized the critical role of journalists in shaping narratives that foster peace. He noted that failure should not be seen as the opposite of success but rather as part of the journey toward achieving it.</p>
<p>“Failure is when you stop trying,” Ibrahim said. “Sports writers should write stories that promote peace among rival groups. We must check our words carefully, because the words we use can either build peace or fuel conflict.”</p><div class="tsH8Eiia" style="clear:both;float:left;width:100%;margin:0 0 20px 0;"><script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>

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<p>He recalled the tragic role of hate speech in the Rwandan genocide, where radio broadcasts incited violence that led to the massacre of over 800,000 Tutsis in just 100 days. He praised Rwanda’s post-genocide reforms under President Paul Kagame, which have fostered reconciliation and unity, including intermarriages between Hutus and Tutsis.</p>
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<p>“As journalists, we should stop taking sides when writing stories. We must rise and preach peace, setting our emotions aside to promote unity,” Ibrahim added.</p>
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<p>The Chairman of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, commended the organizers, stressing that peace-building through sports is vital at a time when insecurity threatens communities.</p>
<p>“It is time for journalists to promote peace and encourage youth to engage in sports. With well-grounded initiatives, we can emphasize collaboration among communities and educate the citizenry. We are ready to work with journalists to promote peace,” Sumaila said.</p>
<p>In his remarks, Rilwanu Idris Maliksawa Garu, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), lamented Nigeria’s absence from the 2026 World Cup.</p>
<p>“Missing Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup is bad news for journalists and for the country. The NFF must go back to the grassroots to recruit national players. It should be a balanced process, 50-50, to ensure fairness and quality,” Garu stated.</p>
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<p>Representing the Peace Initiative Network, Mr. Friday highlighted the unifying power of sports across cultural divides.</p>
<p>“Sports foster unity, teamwork, tolerance, and respect. It has the power to break barriers and bring people together. Among the youth, there are immense talents that can be nurtured through sports,” he said.</p>
<p>The Executive Secretary of the Kano State Library Board, Garba Ado Zakirai, pledged his support for the initiative, while Dr. Abdulgafar Oladimeji, News Editor of Sahel Sports News, emphasized the importance of professionalism in journalism.</p>
<p>“For journalists to achieve great feats in this profession, they must build themselves professionally and uphold the ethics of the craft,” Oladimeji said.</p>
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<p>The interactive session urges intersection between sports, journalism, and peace-building. With Nigeria missing out on the 2026 World Cup, participants agreed that journalists have a responsibility not only to report sports but also to use their platforms to promote unity, resilience, and hope in society.</p>
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