The importance of the visit of the Grand Imam to Nigeria goes back to the fact that it is one of the most vulnerable African countries to terrorism, given the spread of the terrorist Boko Haram group that is ISIS-aligned. During the visit, Imam At-Tayyeb met the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Palace in Abuja. They discussed ways to confront extremist thought.

At-Tayyeb held a global press conference in Abuja, in which he underscored Al-Azhar’s insistence on eliminating extremist thought and promoting genuine Islam.

He also addressed the peoples of the African continent and the Muslims all over the world through a speech titled, “Islam is a Religion of Peace”, which is translated by the Nigerian authorities into many local dialects. The Grand Imam visited the refugee camp allocated in Abuja to those hurt by the Boko Haram attacks.