…CBCN seeks credible 2027 elections, return of mission schools, action on insecurity, poverty
Malik Yahya/
ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu has assured Catholic bishops that Nigeria is emerging from economic uncertainty and will overcome terrorism, banditry and kidnapping as his administration restructures the nation’s security architecture.
Tinubu gave the assurance on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving leaders of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), led by its President and Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso.
The President told the 20-member delegation that the Federal Government was strengthening intelligence gathering, reorganising security institutions, improving logistics and prioritising the welfare of personnel on the frontlines.
He disclosed that he had approved an expansion of the Armed Forces, alongside the acquisition of more equipment and construction of new barracks.
“We will defeat terrorism,” Tinubu said, urging religious leaders to use their influence to condemn violent attacks and rally Nigerians behind efforts to restore peace.
“We don’t have another country but here, this Nigeria,” he said, stressing that the country’s diversity should remain a source of strength rather than division.
Turning to the economy, Tinubu said his administration had pulled Nigeria away from what he described as the threat of bankruptcy and placed it on a path towards stability and prosperity.
“The country has been placed on a sound footing. The economy has recovered,” he said. “This government has stabilised, and there is prosperity on the horizon. Life is improving.”
The President said his government would continue interventions designed to ease pressure on households and expand opportunities, citing the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) among initiatives aimed at improving access to education.
He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to take advantage of opportunities in education, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, arguing that human-capital development remained critical to lifting citizens out of poverty.
Tinubu also pointed to stability in the university system as evidence of progress, noting that prolonged industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities had not disrupted academic calendars.
“ASUU is not on strike. They are not bringing agony to our homes. Is that not an answer to our prayers? For me, that’s answered prayer,” he said.
The President said more universities had been approved to accommodate growing demand for tertiary education, adding that data from the National Universities Commission would help guide budgeting for NELFUND.
“I believe in what you believe; we should embrace education to get out of poverty,” he told the bishops.
With attention increasingly turning towards the 2027 general elections, Tinubu defended the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission, insisting that political actors had equal opportunities.
“INEC is neutral. They have never intimidated anyone,” the President said.
He dismissed concerns raised by political opponents, saying: “If political opponents are crying wolf, maybe they are afraid of their own shadows and uncertainty in the companies they keep, not me.”
On calls for the return of mission schools, Tinubu said the decision rested with state governors under the Constitution.
He recalled returning mission schools to their original owners while serving as Lagos State governor, saying Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie could attest to the decision.
Tinubu urged Nigerians and national institutions to protect the unity, stability and prosperity of the country, saying the present generation owed future generations a duty to preserve the nation inherited from its founding fathers.
Earlier, Ndagoso raised concerns over insecurity, poverty, the quality and capacity of tertiary education, credible elections and the need to consolidate Nigeria’s democratic gains.
The Archbishop urged Tinubu to ensure that the 2027 general elections are free and fair, describing the strengthening of democratic institutions as a potential defining legacy of the President.
“As a man who risked so much in the struggle for the return of democratic rule in the dark days of the military dictatorship, your greatest legacy would be the strengthening of our democratic institutions,” Ndagoso said.
The CBCN President also appealed for the return of mission schools and equal treatment of worshippers across the country, including access to places of worship without discrimination.
He thanked Tinubu for the reception accorded the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, during activities marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Vatican.
Among the Catholic leaders at the meeting were John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Peter Cardinal Okpaleke; Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama; Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Martins; Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah; Bishop of Katsina, Most Rev. Gerald Musa; and Bishop of Oyo, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo.
The meeting placed two major national concerns, security and the credibility of the 2027 elections, at the centre of discussions between the Presidency and one of Nigeria’s most influential religious bodies.
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