What began as a routine gathering of Catholic bishops on Saturday transformed into a moment of national reflection and reassurance as Senate President Godswill Akpabio and representatives of President Bola Tinubu appealed for patience and collective effort to steer Nigeria through turbulent reforms.
Addressing the Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Akpabio likened Nigeria’s current struggles to the scaffolding of a great cathedral under construction.
“Do not despair when the winds blow strong or the scaffolding shakes,” he urged. “A nation is not raised overnight but stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand.”
Akpabio, speaking before bishops, lawmakers, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, framed national transformation as a shared covenant between leaders and citizens:
“Let us bind the wounds of division, banish the cynicism of despair, and walk together—Church and State, pulpit and parliament, faith and policy—towards a brighter dawn. Transformation is not the burden of one arm of society, nor the privilege of a select few.”
Delivering President Tinubu’s message, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, assured that bold economic reforms are underway to stabilize the economy, attract investment, and ensure inclusivity: “This administration is building a Nigeria that works for all, and no one will be left behind.”
Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno praised the Catholic Church’s global record in defending justice and democracy, urging the clergy to keep partnering with government to uplift vulnerable Nigerians.
He pointed to his administration’s welfare programmes as evidence of a shared commitment to the common good.
The event—drawing bishops from across Nigeria, Catholic faithful, and political figures—highlighted a rare convergence of pulpit and policy.
At a time of economic hardship and uncertainty, the bishops’ conference became a stage for reaffirming hope, unity, and the belief that Nigeria’s current pains are part of a greater transformation in progress.