Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, the Catholic Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese, warned on Sunday that Nigeria’s economy will continue to lag if political aspirants fail to prioritize industrial development. He cautioned that it is dangerous for Nigeria to remain a consumer nation without corresponding manufacturing activities to support the economy. According to the Archbishop, pervasive poverty and the gross under‑utilisation of Nigeria’s abundant natural resources stem from a lack of a sound production culture.
Speaking during his homily at Holy Rosary Parish in Wuse, Abuja, the Archbishop highlighted the stark contrast between widespread poverty and the display of affluence by a few who have access to public funds or who flaunt money during electoral campaigns, seemingly oblivious to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians. He noted that the gap between “the high and mighty” and “the low and downtrodden” keeps widening, citing an Oxfam report that found three wealthy Nigerians are richer than 83 million of their compatriots combined.
In the heated political climate of the election month, Archbishop Kaigama urged aspiring office‑holders to commit to using their positions to alleviate poverty and address the insecurity and violence that stem from it. He called on them to reconsider why Nigeria excels at consumption but lags in production, pointing out that, aside from oil, the country exports little while importing everything from toothpicks and matches to shoe polish, pencils, and soft drinks.
He warned that Nigeria’s poor production culture has led to the collapse of groundnut, cocoa, and cotton industries, and even prevents the nation from refining its own oil to meet domestic needs.
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