COFP Fellowship Making More Impact in Its 8th Year

The Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) Fellowship Program continues to expand its impact in its eighth year, through a sustained effort in building a new generation of African peacebuilders. In July 2025, amidst limited resources, 35 outstanding Fellows were selected from 2,023 applicants to begin the 2025/2026 Fellowship in Abuja. Drawn from the six geopolitical zones including East, Central, and West Africa, the eighth cohort reflects COFP’s sustained commitment to inclusive and continental peacebuilding.

Amid ongoing conflicts across Africa, the Fellowship emphasizes shared responsibility, dialogue, and understanding as foundations for sustainable peace. This vision underpins the program’s structure and content. The opening dinner for the 1st module brought together faith leaders, diplomatic representatives, and international partners, including His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Founder of COFP; the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leen Knegt, among others.

Fellowship Module One focused on the foundational teachings of Islam and Christianity, highlighting shared values and the importance of interreligious dialogue in promoting peaceful coexistence. Module Two, held from November 23 to 30, 2025, in Abuja, equipped Fellows with practical skills in conflict analysis, mediation and project management. Fellows have now returned to their communities to implement peace projects, putting learning into action. As the program grows stronger in its eighth year, the COFP Fellowship remains a vital platform for transforming conflict through leadership, dialogue, and sustained community engagement across Africa.