The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria “raised serious concerns over the state of the nation’s democratic situation, issuing a direct warning against the narrowing of political opposition and the creeping fear of a single-party dominant state,” according to a report from the episcopal conference’s media network.
Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna made his remarks during a July 28 meeting with Bola Tinubu, the nation’s president since 2023. The report added:
Beyond political freedoms, Archbishop Ndagoso presented a stark assessment of the severe economic and security challenges threatening the nation’s stability, restating what the Conference has severally said in the past; that Nigeria is bleeding, and its citizens are suffering and crying, not only due to incessant security threats, but also because of government policies whose promised relief has been delayed for too long.
In an address to the Catholic prelates, President Tinubu touted his economic record and added, “I have just approved the expansion of the armed forces. We are getting more equipment, building new barracks. We will defeat terrorism.”
Located in West Africa, Nigeria, a nation of 243 million (map), is the most populous in Africa and sixth most populous in the world. It is 47% Muslim, 46% Christian (11% Catholic), and 7% ethnic religionist.