Tinubu meets Catholic Bishops, reaffirms commitment to national development

President Bola Tinubu on Friday welcomed a delegation of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria to the Presidential Villa in Abuja, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to building a better Nigeria.

The delegation was led by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) and Archbishop of Owerri. Other notable figures in attendance included Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Bishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese.

The meeting followed recent criticism from the bishops regarding the country’s ongoing struggles. During their plenary session in Abuja last weekend, Ugorji highlighted pressing national issues, including unemployment, insecurity, poverty, and corruption, urging the President to take decisive action.

In response, the Presidency assured Nigerians that progress is underway. A statement issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, addressed the bishops’ concerns, acknowledging the nation’s challenges while highlighting areas of improvement.

“President Bola Tinubu deeply appreciates the constant interventions of the Catholic Bishops in matters of governance in our country. The Conference of Catholic Bishops’ patriotic fervour and commitment to national unity, peace, and stability are unassailable and deeply valued,” Onanuga said.

On security, Onanuga noted that Nigeria’s situation had improved since 2023, crediting security forces for eliminating over 8,000 criminals and rescuing more than 10,000 people, mostly women and children.

He added that better security had enabled farmers to return to their fields, boosting food production and driving down commodity prices.

Addressing economic concerns, Onanuga asserted that Tinubu’s administration had stabilised the economy and improved the country’s financial outlook through targeted reforms.