President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and other religious leaders to actively support the Federal Government’s efforts to defeat terrorism, banditry and kidnapping by condemning violence and promoting national unity.
The President made the appeal on Tuesday while receiving the leadership of the CBCN, led by its President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Tinubu said his administration was restructuring and repositioning the nation’s security architecture to enhance its effectiveness through improved intelligence gathering, better logistics, expanded military capacity and improved welfare for security personnel.
Urging the bishops to play a greater role in the campaign against insecurity, the President said religious leaders should consistently preach peace and reject violent extremism.
“We don’t have another country but here – this Nigeria,” Tinubu said. “I have just approved the expansion of the armed forces. We are getting more equipment and building new barracks. We will defeat terrorism. It should be part of your sermons.”
The President also briefed the bishops on his administration’s economic reforms, stating that Nigeria had overcome the threat of bankruptcy and was now on a path of recovery and renewed prosperity.
According to him, interventions such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) are helping to improve access to education and reduce poverty, while the absence of prolonged strikes in public universities reflects growing stability in the education sector.
Tinubu urged Nigerians to embrace education, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, stressing that government and the private sector were creating opportunities for citizens to improve their livelihoods.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to credible elections, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) remains neutral and that all political parties would have equal opportunities in future elections.
On the issue of mission schools, the President told the bishops that state governors have the constitutional authority to decide on their return, recalling that he restored mission schools during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State.
Earlier, CBCN President, Most Rev. Matthew Ndagoso, commended President Tinubu for receiving the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Vatican.
The bishops, however, expressed concerns over insecurity, poverty, access to quality tertiary education, democratic governance and the need for credible elections.
Ndagoso urged the President to strengthen democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections, consider the return of mission schools and ensure equal treatment of all religious groups, including access to places of worship without discrimination.
The meeting was attended by prominent Catholic clerics, including Cardinals John Onaiyekan and Peter Okpaleke, Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Martins, Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, and other members of the CBCN leadership.
