Rev. Fr. Dr. Richard Gokum

Rev. Fr. Dr. Richard Emmanuel Gokum born on the 28th of May 1978, is an ordained Catholic priest of theCatholicdioceseofSokoto, academic, and executive leader from Nigeria. He serves as a lecturer in the Department of Theological Studies at Veritas University in Abuja, Nigeria, and is the CEO and Executive Secretary of the Veritas University Endowment Foundation (VUEF). Profile Overview • Current Roles: Lecturer at Veritas University Bwari, Abuja, and CEO of VUEF. • Affiliation: Ordained as a Catholic priest in 2012 under the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto. • Education: Alumnus of both the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (PUST / Angelicum) in Rome. Academic and Research Contributions Dr. Gokum specializes in Islamic history, interreligious dialogue, ecumenism, and the interplay between religion, politics, and sectarian issues in sub-Saharan Africa. His notable published works and research include: • Interfaith Coexistence: Analyzing Catholic hermeneutics and investigating how Islamic traditions can peacefully coexist with other religious communities. • Religio-Political Conflict: Documenting how religion has been leveraged by ruling classes in Nigeria to manage political opposition and shift regional identities. • Social and Religious Critiques: Co-authoring studies on religious manipulation, such as the rise of false testimonies for economic and psychological control within contemporary Nigerian ministries. • Humanitarian Advocacy: Publicly advocating for income-generating initiatives to pull conflict-displaced women out of poverty. Institutional Leadership As the head of the Veritas University Endowment Foundation, Fr. Gokum drives educational expansion, fundraising, and institutional partnerships. He oversees the strategic integration of major academic donations, such as the multi-billion Naira law library donated by Pa Solomon Asemota, SAN, and handles technology distributions via international partners like Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to improve digital infrastructure on campus.