James Wuye

James Wuye (born 1960) is a Nigerian Pastor of the General Council of the Assemblies of God Nigeria and co-director, alongside Imam Muhammad Ashafa, of the Interfaith Mediation Center of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue in Kaduna. He is best known for his peace activism and efforts to defuse religious conflicts between Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria.

Biography

James Wuye was born in Tudun Wada, a district of Kaduna. During his childhood, Wuye lived in military barracks after his father was conscripted to fight in the Biafra War. As an adolescent, he left the Baptist Church attended by his parents and joined the Assemblies of God Church. He obtained a degree in theology from the AG's Northern Theological Seminary in Kaduna. Then he went on to graduate with an undergraduate degree from Vision University, Kaduna campus and a master's degree in theology from West Africa Christian University. Wuye led a youth militia under CAN to fight for Christians.

Documentary Films Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye have been the subject of two documentary films: The Imam and the Pastor (2006) An African Answer (2010)

Honors Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa received the Bremen Peace Award in 2005, the Fondation Chirac Prize for Conflict Prevention in 2009, and the German Africa Prize in 2013.

They were among five recipients of the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award, conferred by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and BMW, for their successful mediations in conflicts in Nigeria.

In 2025, Wuye and Ashafa were awarded the first Commonwealth Peace Prize, created by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Khalili Foundation. The prize included a £50,000 donation from the foundation to the Interfaith Mediation Centre.