Your Policies Pushing Nigerians Into Abject Poverty – Catholic Bishops Tell Tinubu

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) says the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has triggered sky-rocketing inflation and pushed millions of Nigerians into abject poverty.

The CBCN said it is saddening the government seems unperturbed about the country’s worsening economic situation where Nigerians continue to endure increasing hardship daily

Speaking through its President, who is the Archbishop of the Latin Church Archdiocese of Owerri in Imo State, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the CBCN blamed the biting suffering on poor policy implementation, occasioned by high cost of petroleum products, transportation and essential goods nationwide.

Archbishop Ugorji stated the CBCN’s at the 2025 First Plenary Meeting of its conference held at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) in Abuja on Sunday.

In a presentation titled; “Jubilee of Hope: A light for a better Nigeria”, the CBCN President said; “While the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration aims at stabilising the economy on the long term, they have significantly triggered sky-rocketing inflation, drastically reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians, and plunged millions into poverty.

“The World Bank projects that 129 million Nigerians now live below the poverty line. The 2024 Global Report on Food Crisis lists Nigeria as the second globally in terms of acute food insecurity, with 24 million people categorised as food insecure.

“According to data drawn from the National Bureau of Statistics, food inflation hit 39.84% in December 2024. It is reported that Nigerians now spend about 65% of their income on food alone. Thus healthcare and other basic necessities are sacrificed”.

Archbishop Ugorji noted that government’s efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the citizenry through the distribution of palliatives, duty wavers on imported food items, and other measures have remained the tip of the iceberg.

He also said that while Nigerians continued to suffer and die, the resultant daily stress is having heavy tolls on the mental health of many parents as they overstretch themselves to make ends meet.

However, the CBCN President noted that there are areas to commend the government in terms of rehabilitation of some dilapidated roads and the construction of new ones across the country; introduction of the Student Loan Scheme (SLS); new minimum wage; and the reduction in revenue to debt servicing from 97 percent to 68 percent.

Further hinting on some of the positive effects of the economic and fiscal reforms embarked upon by government, he said; “Despite all these, the state of the nation remains bleak, as dark clouds of uncertainty and despondency continue to gather.

“In this address, I shall cast a cursory glance at four issues, including the harsh socio-economic situation of our nation, heightening insecurity, rising youth unemployment and the deplorable state of our federal correctional centres.”

On insecurity, Archbishop Ugorji said the scourge still persists, and is even getting worse across the nation as the ‘armies’ of Boko Haram, bandits, unknown gunmen continue to grow in number, as well as in acts of wickedness and barbarism.

He said kidnapping for ransom and the mindless killing of innocent people are on the rise, with the targeting of priests and religious across the county.

Also addressing participants at the Conference, the President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, said the theme of the first plenary session, “Jubilee of Hope: A light for a better Nigeria,” invites all to return to God and re-establish or strengthen their relationship with the Creator.

For him, it is the duty of every individual to reflect on the relationships they have with others and the entire creation in the light of God’s will.