- Urge government to address Nigeria’s deepening hunger, economic instability
- Task FG on transparent selection process for National Youth Confab
The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have issued a communiqué, expressing deep concern over the rising insecurity in Yorubaland. The bishops emphasised that citizens must be alive to work towards better times, but leaders cannot afford to be complacent.
The bishops in the communique said, the resurgence of herdsmen attacks, kidnappings, robberies, and other crimes in parts of Yorubaland has posed a significant threat to the relative peace and security of recent years. The communique was issued after their meeting held from February 10 to 11, 2025, at the Jubilee Conference Centre in Ibadan, Oyo Sate. In the statement signed by both the Chairman and Secretary of the Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Gabriel ‘Leke Abegunrin, Archbishop of Ibadan and Most Rev. John Akin Oyejola, Bishop of Osogbo, the prelates appealed to governors and security agencies in the Southwestern States to take decisive action to address these challenges.
The communique read in parts, “As leaders of the Church in Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province, we commend our political leaders for managing the security situation in this land reasonably well for the last few years, making the hope of the people in a better future to grow. This proves the dictum that when there is life, there is hope. “Citizens have to be alive to work for better times. Our leaders, however, cannot rest on their oars. We must denounce the threat posed more recently by the resurgence of the menace of herdsmen attacks, kidnappings, robberies and other crimes in parts of Yorubaland. “We appeal to governors and security agencies in the Southwestern States to rise up to the challenge posed by these threats, in order to maintain the relative peace and security of recent years.”
To achieve this, the bishops identified several key strategies that border on efficient intelligence gathering, good remunerations, and equipping of security outfits as well as determination to prosecute crime without favour. The bishops emphasised that these measures must be pursued with single-mindedness to ensure the security of life and property in Yorubaland. The prelates also issued a strong warning to the government, highlighting the alarming levels of hunger and economic instability plaguing the nation. According to the bishops, two years into the current administration, millions of Nigerians continue to struggle with basic necessities, with the phrase “Ebi npa wa” (“We are hungry”) becoming a haunting refrain.
While acknowledging some progress in promoting agriculture, the bishops urged the government to invest more in this critical sector, engage youth, and prioritise sustainable food production. They emphasised that a country unable to feed its citizens undermines its sovereignty, particularly in Nigeria, where the necessary resources for food sufficiency abound. In their words, “It should worry the government at all levels that “Ebi npa wa”, meaning, “We are hungry”, has become a more popular song on the lips of many Nigerians than the celebrated national, regional or state anthems. “
While commending some cheering strides made by some governments to promote agriculture, we urge the government at all levels to invest more in agriculture, facilitate the involvement of the youth in it, and boost provision of food in a sustainable manner through improved security, and put strategies in place to reduce the escalated cost of food all over Nigeria. “A country that cannot feed its citizens is not worth its sovereignty. This is even more true of Nigeria which is well endowed with all the necessary ingredients for food sufficiency.” The bishops cautioned that hunger erodes hope and productivity, leading to restiveness among the population.
They advocated for collaboration with experts and social engineers to address hunger and strengthen citizens’ hope. Furthermore, the bishops stressed the urgent need for price and monetary stability, stressing that price stability is crucial for a healthy economy. They called for sincere monitoring of prices to prevent indiscriminate increases, ensuring that the general price level remains stable over time. In response to President Bola Tinubu’s proposal for a National Youth Confab in 2024, the bishops emphasised the need for transparency and authenticity in the selection process. The bishops warned that the confab should not be another “talk shop” or cosmetic exercise, but rather a genuine effort to give young people a voice in the country’s affairs.
The bishop’s statement comes after President Tinubu announced a 30-day National Youth Confab to address challenges facing young people, including education, employment, innovation, security, and social justice. The confab aims to unite young people nationwide to develop solutions to these issues. However, the bishop cautioned that the success of the confab depends on the government’s ability to ensure a transparent and honest selection process, stressing that the process must guarantee fair and widespread representation of young people from all over the country. The recent statement by the bishops underscored the vital importance of the media in Nigeria’s development.
The high-ranking clerics reiterated the media’s role as the “fourth estate of the realm,” emphasising that no public interest programme can succeed without their cooperation. They expressed gratitude to Nigerian media workers for their tireless efforts in sustaining the country’s fragile sanity, often at great personal risk. The bishops’ statement also came with a warning. They urged the government and security agencies to recognise the media as partners in nation building, rather than attempting to intimidate or gag them. A free press, they argued, is essential for preventing dictatorship and promoting human development. But the bishops’ communique was not just directed at the government. They also charged the media to resist the tendency to focus on bad news, and strive for balanced reporting that highlights both the positive and negative aspects of Nigerian society.
“We, therefore, urge Nigerians to ensure that the media remains free to do its job. Conversely, the media must resist its obsession with bad news at the expense of balanced reporting which highlights both good and bad things happening in the society with equal passion. Only in this way can the media become true allies and purveyors of hope in mobilising public energy and creativity to collectively conquer the challenges facing us all.” “Perception and image have a huge role to play in the development of any nation and the media is a main contributor to the image which a nation projects of itself both locally and internationally.” The communique of the bishops also shed light on Nigeria’s precarious state, highlighting the devastating effects of poor governance, corruption, and erosion of ethical values.
They called for transformative leadership, one that prioritises integrity, service, and moral courage. According to the bishops, Nigeria’s woes are deeply ingrained, stemming from years of neglect, exploitation, and side-lining of the rule of law. They noted that the consequences are dire, with millions of Nigerians feeling the debilitating effects of corruption and poor governance. The bishops stressed that the country urgently needs leaders who will take decisive action, backed by personal sacrifice, to counter these challenges. So, what’s the solution? The bishops advocated for intentional leadership training, focusing on values like integrity, service, and moral courage. This approach, they noted, will empower leaders to prioritise the greater good, rather than personal gain.
The Church, according to the bishops, is committed to providing transformative education and mentorship programmes to equip and inspire youth with the tools to lead with integrity. They pledged, “We, as a Church, are committed to providing and supporting transformative education and programmes which will equip and inspire our youth with the tools to lead with integrity, reorientate their values by prioritising hard work, honesty, solidarity and compassion over crass materialism. “We are committed through our agencies and personnel to provide mentorship for our youths to learn from experienced leaders to cherish accountability and transparency and teach them how to become themselves pilgrims of hope, and reconciliation in our depressed and fractured nation.
“We call on our government and private institutions to commit to these same noble objectives and more, we ask them to provide infrastructure and incentives to train, enable and encourage our people to earn an honest living through better infrastructure. Only if we proceed in this manner can we become together true agents of hope for our country.” According to the prelates, by prioritising integrity, service, and moral courage, the country can begin to heal and move forward. The bishops stated with deep concern, “Only if we proceed in this manner can we become together true agents of hope for our country.”
