Stephen Ojapah
- Christianity
- Nigeria
- Male
- Nigeria
- Western Africa
- KAICIID Fellows
Biography Narrative
Catholic Priest, Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria
Stephen Ojapah is a Catholic Priest of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria (MSP) working in the Catholic diocese of Sokoto. He is the director for interreligious dialogue and ecumenism for the diocese of Sokoto and the parish priest of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Gidan Mai Kambu. Fr. Stephen Ojapah also lectures in communication and interreligious dialogue at the Catechetical Training Center, Malumfashi. He has been involved in several interfaith initiatives for peace in Kafur and Funtua local governments area of Katisna State. He is the Coordinator of Mai Kanbu Sustainable Socio Economic development Initiative (MSSEDI) an interfaith NGO that provides soft loans for farmers in the rural areas.
Stephe is also a member of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) and was involved in the planning and implementation of the state visit to the stakeholders and the victims of the crisis in Zamfara State, he was also actively involved in the media and social media campaign against hate speech in Nigeria.
Fr. Stephen enjoys reading and traveling, cherishes old friendships, and loves silence. His motto is, “When you defeat someone don’t humiliate the person.”
Interreligious Activities and Initiatives
A course on IRD for Primary and Secondary Schools in the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto and its Implementation
INTRODUCTION
The Catholic diocese of Sokoto is situated in the northwestern part of the county; that covers four states that are predominantly Muslims; Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi.
JUSTIFICATION
Extremism has increased rapidly in recent years in Nigeria, and as an institution that trains children across Faiths, we have an opportunity to improve their skills and competencies in living peaceably together through IRD activities.
JUSTIFICATION
The rapid increase in radical extremist’s activities has so much increased in recent years around Nigeria, and as an institution that trains children across Faiths, we have an opportunity to affects the future through IRD activities.
CONTEXT
There are a lot of cases of injustice experienced by minority Christians in the Northern part of the country; the adult society seems to have been lost in finding a common ground, we would like to build the future generation to a better society.
JUSTIFICATION
Extremism has increased rapidly in recent years in Nigeria, and as an institution that trains children across Faiths, we have an opportunity to improve their skills and competencies in living peaceably together through IRD activities.
BACKGROUND
Those who hold hardline extreme views can be found in all parts of Nigerian society, such individuals even attend our schools, therefore IRD provides a crucial opportunity to encounter these young children to teach pluralism and respect for other peoples and cultures.
REGION. This project is meant to be carried out in the North Western part of Nigeria that covers the states of Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Kebbi