The First module of the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP) maiden edition of the Fellowship Program was held from Sunday July 15th through Sunday 22nd July 2018 at Ajuji Hotel Abuja Nigeria. After a competitive application process, 35 pioneer Fellows were selected from the six geo-political zones in the country comprising of 22males and 13 females out of which18 are Christians while 17 were Muslims. The COFP Fellows was chosen from diverse religious sects of both Christian and Muslim denominations. For instance, Muslim Fellows were selected from the following sects: Sunni, Shiite, NASFAT, Qadiriyyah Sufi, Ahmadiyya, Izala, Miyetty Allah and DariqstTijjania, while Christian Fellows were people of different sects like Catholics, ECWA, Baptist, Assemblies of God, COCIN, Lutheran, and Anglican.
A welcome/opening dinner was held in honour of the 35 COFP Fellows on the evening of Monday, 16th July, 2018, during which they were presented and the Fellowship Program inaugurated. The dinner was graced by reputable personalities among whom are high foreign and national dignitaries like the Ambassadors of Germany, Australia, Czech, France, the Papal Nuncio, Spain, British, European Union and Austria Ambassadors and diplomats from various Embassies in Nigeria. The USAID Country Director, CRS Regional Director and top Islamic and Christian leaders including His Eminence John Cardinal Onaoiyekan, the Founder of COFP as well as other stakeholders were in attendance. The COFP Fellowship Program commenced with module one. Thus, Fellows still have modules two and three to go through before graduating in April 2019.
