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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the Federal Government to ensure that the country’s economic recovery translates into tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
CAN, in a statement issued by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary on Thursday, said the success of economic reforms should ultimately be measured by whether families can afford basic necessities, young people can secure decent jobs and communities can live in safety.
The Christian body welcomed what it described as the shift from an era of economic reforms to an era of prosperity, but cautioned that economic statistics alone should not be the measure of progress.
It called on the government to make reductions in the cost of food, transportation and energy measurable priorities, stressing that Nigerians who had endured years of economic hardship deserved meaningful relief in their daily lives.
CAN also advocated stronger social protection for vulnerable Nigerians, including improved access to education, healthcare and affordable credit.
It urged the government to ensure that such interventions were transparently administered and protected from diversion, insisting that prosperity that failed to reach ordinary households remained incomplete.
On security, the association said there could be no meaningful prosperity in an environment where citizens were unable to farm, trade, travel or sleep peacefully because of fear.
It therefore called for sustained action to protect lives, secure communities and restore public confidence across the country.
The association also cautioned political actors ahead of the 2027 elections against presenting politicians as messiahs, while urging Christians to exercise their freedom to support or criticise political candidates without dragging the name of Jesus Christ into partisan rivalry.
“No politician is the Messiah,” CAN stated, warning against the use of Christianity and the name of Jesus Christ as a political weapon.
The association reaffirmed its commitment to remaining a non-partisan moral voice in the country, saying it would continue to commend what was right, speak when citizens were hurting and hold leaders to the values of justice, accountability and compassion.
CAN thus congratulated Nigerians on the Independence anniversary and called for a new phase in which the promise of national prosperity would be reflected in the everyday lives of citizens.
