The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has expressed deep concern over the severe economic hardship faced by Nigerians, attributing it to a combination of high electricity tariffs, high cost of petroleum products, transportation, and inadequate infrastructure.

In a statement issued after the CBCN’s Second Plenary Meeting, the conference highlighted the increasing burden on both individuals and businesses due to these economic strains.

The communiqué, signed by CBCN President Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji and delivered by Bishop Donatus A. Ogun of Uromi, emphasized the growing public frustration stemming from these issues.

The bishops noted that the current economic environment is further exacerbated by food insecurity and malnutrition, which have become more prevalent due to the rising cost of basic food items.

Rev. Ugorji stated that experts attribute the crisis to persistent insecurity caused by terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements disrupting agricultural activities and livelihoods across the nation.

The communiqué also addresses the impact of multiple taxation on businesses. It points out that businesses are struggling under the weight of various taxes imposed by federal, state, and local government agencies.

“This situation is aggravated by frequent hikes in bank interest rates and ongoing issues with power supply, inflation, and the devaluation of the Naira. These factors contribute to Nigeria’s poor ranking in global ease of doing business indices and create a discouraging environment for both local and foreign investments,” he said.

The CBCN noted that while taxes are essential for government revenue and the provision of public services, the current tax regime has become overly burdensome.

The bishops call on President Bola Tinubu’s government for a more streamlined and fair approach to taxation that supports rather than stifles economic activity.

He said, “We appeal to governments at all levels to take urgent measures to harmonize taxes and address multiple taxation to stem the tide of businesses collapsing in Nigeria, which leads to increased unemployment.

“This will also encourage investors who are already facing high production costs, low sales, insignificant profit margins, and the depletion of business capital.”

Regarding hardship and food insecurity, he said, “We recognize the efforts of governments to address this problem, such as the declaration of a state of emergency on food insecurity, the importation of food, cash transfer schemes, and the distribution of palliatives to the most vulnerable.”

However, he said it is disheartening to observe that, despite these measures, the prices of food items have continued to surge.

He said, “We demand that governments implement policies, programs, and initiatives that address the multifaceted factors adversely affecting food security, with a solid action plan for implementation, such as providing safety and security for farmers and their crops across the country.

“We urge governments to support farmers with subsidies, soft loans, modern technology, and improved seedlings, but not genetically modified seedlings. This also involves supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are struggling to add value to raw local food products through processing, preservation, and packaging technology.

“We encourage families and individuals to engage in farming and call on the government to ensure the security of farmers and their crops, offer incentives to private-sector agribusinesses, and take urgent and decisive steps to achieve food self-sufficiency in our nation.”

Ugorji said there is a need for repentance and concerted efforts.

He said, “We must accept, however, that this situation is largely self-inflicted, especially through corruption in all its forms, from the highest levels of government to the entire body of the nation.

“Therefore, we all need to accept responsibility for what has befallen us: from the highest levels of government to all the citizenry, with special responsibility falling on those in government to manage the affairs of our nation; and from all successive governments, past and present, but especially the present government, which has sought our votes to address these issues.”

He added that there is a need for national re-orientation away from lies and dishonesty towards truth and integrity.