Speaking to ACI Africa on the sidelines of the CBCN’s first Plenary Assembly in Abuja, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji called on the administration of Ahmed Bola Tinubu to adopt subsidy-driven interventions that would lower production costs and strengthen national food security.

“We fault the intervention that consists of food in order to crash the food price. Rather, we think government should encourage farmers by giving them subsidies, like it’s done in most countries,” Archbishop Ugorji said during the February 25 interview.

The Archbishop, who serves as the Local Ordinary of Owerri Archdiocese, explained that subsidies for fertilisers, farm equipment and other essential inputs would enable farmers to produce food at lower costs and pass those savings on to consumers.

“If they produce at a low cost, they will also sell at a low cost,” he said, arguing that sustainable domestic production offers a more durable solution than policies that risk discouraging agricultural investment.

While acknowledging that lower food prices provide immediate relief to low-income households, Archbishop Ugorji cautioned that excessive importation could weaken local farming capacity and ultimately create deeper shortages. He warned that such measures may only “postpone the evil day” if they undermine long-term agricultural resilience.

Beyond agriculture, the Church leader reflected on Nigeria’s broader economic challenges, describing it as troubling that a resource-rich country continues to struggle with widespread poverty. He cited illegal mining and oil bunkering as significant drains on national revenue, noting that the activities not only deprive the state of billions of dollars but also fuel insecurity.

Although he welcomed recent federal reforms in the mining sector, he called for the deployment of modern technology to enhance transparency and strengthen oversight.

“The wealth generated from our natural resources is not translated to prosperity for the majority,” he said, describing current hardship levels as unacceptable given the country’s resource endowment.

Archbishop Ugorji also raised concerns about declining voter participation in Nigeria, pointing to a drop in turnout from 69 percent in 2003 to 23 percent in 2023, and just seven percent in recent Federal Capital Territory elections. He attributed part of the decline to waning public confidence in the electoral process.

To restore trust, he urged the National Assembly to reconsider electoral reforms, particularly the real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to collation centres without human interference.

“That will help to raise the confidence of the people in the electoral process,” he said, adding, “If the best among us refuse to participate because they think politics is dirty, then the worst of us will lead the best of us.”