Catholic bishops warn of looming crisis, demand action on youth unemployment

Catholic bishops in Nigeria have raised the alarm over a looming national crisis, warning that worsening youth unemployment and widespread frustration with governance could push the country towards chaos.

Speaking at the opening of the 2025 first plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday, the clerics urged political leaders to take decisive action before the situation spirals out of control.

The CBCN President, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, painted a grim picture of the country’s economic and social challenges, stressing that the high rate of youth unemployment—currently at 53 percent—is a ticking time bomb.

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 despair faced by 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 said.

He further lamented that many unemployed youths now resort to pagan shrines, ritual killings, and human sacrifices in search of instant wealth, while others are easy recruits for 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,” the CBCN President warned.

Beyond economic hardship, the bishops also raised concerns about Nigeria’s worsening 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 true rehabilitation centres, has failed to yield the desired results due to poor implementation.

“The government must rise above these challenges and provide necessary solutions,” he urged.

On his part, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama, called for a shift from mere religious displays to genuine spirituality and national transformation.

He condemned the competition for religious supremacy, extravagant places of worship, and empty symbols that have done little to address the country’s moral and economic decay.

“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,” he said.

Kaigama also described as an embarrassment the tragic incident where people were crushed to death while scrambling for food in Abuja last Christmas, lamenting that such occurrences should not be happening in a country blessed with abundant resources.

In his remarks, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, lamented 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 moral and economic decay.

“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.