The president of the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference (CBCN), Msgr. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, denounced the serious crisis facing the African country, marked by violence, poverty, and corruption. In a meeting with lay faithful from the ecclesiastical province of Calabar, reported by ACI Prensa, the Archbishop of Owerri warned that Nigeria «is sinking on many fronts» and that numerous communities «have become places of fear, flight, and funerals».
«Our fellow citizens are daily kidnapped, extorted, dehumanized, murdered, or forced to flee their ancestral homes, abandoning their livelihoods to seek refuge in makeshift camps, exposed to extreme weather conditions, often without food or water», the prelate alerted.
Poverty, unemployment, and youth exodus
In addition to violence, Archbishop Ugorji highlighted the gravity of the economic situation. «We are deeply concerned because our compatriots continue to groan under penury and seem condemned to a life of misery and frustration», he stated in his address, disseminated by ACI Africa.
The president of the CBCN emphasized that youth unemployment fuels criminality and emigration, causing a brain drain that further impoverishes the country.
Health and education collapse
The crisis also affects the health and education sectors. Archbishop Ugorji recalled that the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari in London on July 13 exposed the deficiencies of the Nigerian health system, marked by the exodus of doctors and hospitals in deplorable condition.
Regarding education, he denounced the lack of funding, ruined infrastructure, and shortage of qualified teachers, which has led to a «constant decline in educational quality».
Corruption and disconnected political class
For the president of the CBCN, the backdrop to this crisis is corruption, which he described as «moral rot that spreads unchecked like a deadly cancer». Meanwhile, he criticized that ruling and opposition politicians are more focused on preparing for the 2027 elections than on fulfilling promises made to the people.
«If this state of affairs continues, the nation will collapse completely», he warned.
The decisive role of the laity
Archbishop Ugorji called on the faithful to commit to national transformation: «We firmly believe that the laity have a greater and decisive role to play». To this end, he demanded political education and the participation of upright Catholics in public life, in accordance with the Church’s social doctrine.