Catholic bishops in Nigeria have sounded the alarm over a looming national crisis, cautioning that worsening youth unemployment and frustration with governance could plunge the country into turmoil.
Speaking at the opening of the 2025 first plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Abuja on Sunday, the clerics urged political leaders to take decisive action before the situation spirals out of control.
Youth Unemployment: A Ticking Time Bomb
CBCN President, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s economic and social challenges, highlighting that the youth unemployment rate—currently at 53%—poses a severe threat to national stability.
According to Ugorji, the surge in criminal activities such as kidnapping, armed robbery, internet fraud, drug abuse, cultism, and ritual killings is directly linked to the desperation of millions of jobless young Nigerians.
“The situation is even worsened by mass layoffs due to the collapse of many companies under the weight of a harsh and hostile economic climate,” he stated.
He further lamented that many unemployed youths now turn to pagan shrines, ritual killings, and human sacrifices in a desperate bid for wealth, while others are easily recruited by violent gangs and terror groups.
“We cannot be tired of urging the government at all levels to take youth unemployment seriously. Until there is a massive, ongoing creation of jobs, the government may continue to lose the war against insecurity and violent crime,” Ugorji warned.
Security Challenges and Failing Correctional Centres
Beyond economic hardship, the bishops also raised concerns about Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation and the deplorable state of correctional centres across the country.
Ugorji recalled that the 2019 Nigerian Correctional Services Act, which aimed to transform prisons into rehabilitation centres, has failed to deliver the desired impact due to poor implementation.
“The government must rise above these challenges and provide necessary solutions,” he urged.
Call for Genuine National Transformation
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, emphasized the need for a shift from mere religious displays to genuine spirituality and national transformation.
He condemned the ongoing competition for religious supremacy, extravagant places of worship, and empty symbols that have done little to address the country’s moral and economic decline.
“As we journey towards Easter, let us pray for our country. But beyond prayers, we must lead by example in honesty, service, and love. We must demand justice, advocate for the poor, and reject all forms of oppression. A new Nigeria is possible if we, as God’s people, take responsibility for building it,” Kaigama stated.
Kaigama also described as an embarrassment the tragic incident where people were crushed to death while scrambling for food in Abuja last Christmas, emphasizing that such occurrences should not be happening in a nation blessed with abundant resources.
Religious Leaders Must Rekindle Hope
In his remarks, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, acknowledged that many Nigerians have reached their breaking point due to hunger, poverty, insecurity, and disease.
He urged religious leaders to rekindle hope and provide courageous leadership in addressing the country’s challenges.
“As you deliberate on the way forward for the Church and our nation, I pray that the Holy Spirit grants you wisdom, strength, and renewed courage to be bearers of hope in these difficult times,” Okoh said.
