EXAMINING THE POLICY OF INTER-FAITH HARMONY AND THE ROLE OF DIALOGUE IN BAUCHI AND GOMBE STATES

Abstract

This study examined the policy of interfaith harmony and the role of dialogue in Bauchi and Gombe states, Nigeria, using Allport’s Contact Theory as the theoretical framework. A quantitative cross-sectional survey assessed the predictive relationships between policy implementation effectiveness, religious education, dialogue initiatives, community engagement, and interfaith harmony across both states. Data were collected from 400 respondents, comprising religious leaders, government officials, community members, and civil society representatives, through a structured questionnaire administered via multi-stage sampling. Data were analysed using SPSS, with PLS-SEM in SmartPLS applied to examine direct and indirect effects of dialogue and education on interfaith harmony. The measurement model showed acceptable composite reliability (0.844-0.873) but moderate AVE values (0.516-0.556), and three religious education items loaded negatively and were removed, pointing to contradictory stakeholder perceptions of religious education’s role. Bauchi showed superior policy implementation effectiveness, while Gombe demonstrated stronger community engagement; religious leaders held the most optimistic views, while community members were more skeptical. The findings confirm the proposed constructs as valid predictors of interfaith harmony while highlighting the complex, multidimensional nature of interfaith relations in northern Nigeria. The study recommends differentiated implementation strategies, culturally sensitive policy design, and future mixed-methods research.