The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the Federal Government to urgently address insecurity, ease economic hardship, and implement clear plans for the resettlement of displaced communities.
CAN warned that national recovery remains incomplete unless reforms bring tangible relief to ordinary citizens.
CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a New Year message issued lamented the persistence of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and violent crime across the country, describing them as grave concerns that demand decisive and sustained government action.
CAN stressed that it was unjust for citizens displaced by violence to remain indefinitely uprooted from their homes and ancestral lands. The association urged authorities to move beyond temporary relief measures to comprehensive restoration.
> “Security must be guaranteed, homes and infrastructure rebuilt, and displaced persons enabled to return safely and with dignity,” the statement read. “A nation cannot claim healing while entire communities remain unsettled.”
Reflecting on 2025, CAN described the year as one marked by severe economic hardship, rising living costs, insecurity, and widespread uncertainty, which placed enormous strain on families nationwide. The association emphasized that reforms and recovery plans must be felt in the daily lives of citizens.
“Development that does not touch ordinary lives remains incomplete,” CAN noted, stressing that true progress is evident only when food is affordable, healthcare accessible, education attainable, and meaningful employment available.
The body also urged leaders to ensure that fiscal and tax reforms are guided by wisdom, fairness, and restraint, warning that economic decisions must not deepen hardship for low-income earners, small businesses, and rural communities.
Beyond economic and security challenges, CAN identified corruption, injustice, and division as moral issues undermining trust and weakening Nigeria’s national conscience. It called for leadership anchored on integrity, accountability, and a genuine desire to serve.
Reaffirming its role, CAN pledged to continue standing with the people, “speaking truth with love and sustaining hope despite prevailing difficulties.”
Archbishop Okoh expressed confidence that Nigeria’s future remains bright, declaring: “Nigeria is not without a future. Justice, peace and restoration are achievable through responsible leadership and unity.”
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