The Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on the National Assembly not to proceed with the proposed Foreign Aids Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure Bill 2026 currently before it.
In a-nine-point communique endorsed by the President, Most Rev Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso and Secretary, Most Rev Peter Olukayode Odetoyinbo issued at the end of the second plenary meeting for 2026 held at Our Lady and St. Kizito Pastoral Centre, Oke-Gada, Ede, Osogbo Diocese, Osun State, 10 – 18 September 2026, the CBCN noted that the Bill, which has passed through first and second readings in the National Assembly, will have a negative impact on society.
“Some provisions require registration of foreign aid resources and mandate authorities to supervise the use of the resources. These sound good but have the potentials to adversely affect churches, mosques, schools, and humanitarian groups that provide critical aid in conflict-affected or vulnerable groups.
“This Bill, which allows authorities to deny registration or refuse renewals if an organization’s work is deemed “not in the national interest”, gives broad, undue discretionary powers to government officials. Again, the Bill risks creating an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy, duplicating existing laws, and granting excessive government control that could stifle independent civic space.
“Non-profit organizations and Incorporated Trustees including Churches, Mosques, other religious bodies, and humanitarian groups are already strictly regulated by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and some other extant laws. We, therefore, request the National Assembly and the federal government not to proceed with the processes of making this Bill into law in the interest of fundamental rights of association and freedom of religion, thought and conscience, and the overall development of our people and nation,” the Bishops warned.
On the 2027 General Elections, the CBCN called on all stakeholders to work for free, fair and credible elections, while encouraging eligible voters to come out en masse to vote qualified people into offices and in line with their good consciences.
“As a Conference, we have issued a pastoral letter regarding the forthcoming general elections. We call on all citizens to study the pastoral letter and follow the provisions and guidelines. We invite all dioceses and parishes in our nation to embark on civic education, mobilization and end-of-month fasting and prayer with Rosary processions from October to December 2026 in preparation for the elections,” the body noted.
To ensure adequate spiritual having, the conference announced that 8 December 2026 will be observed as special and national day for prayer and fasting for the success of the elections and enjoined all Catholics to comply with the directive.
While appreciating the positive efforts omade by governments and citizens are making in keeping our nation united despite all odds, the Bishops expressed regrets that insecurity, poverty, poor infrastructure, bad governance, and assault on human dignity have continued to ravage our nation and its citizens.
“We recognize the move by government to decentralise the police system to tackle insecurity in our nation. At the same time, we request that such a reorganisation should be deployed for the common good rather than for personal, ethnic, political and religious interests.
“We observe that incidents of widespread violence, kidnapping, banditry, illegal mining and stealing of our common natural resources persist. All these rob citizens of peace and threaten the unity of the nation. In a special way, we demand Government to do all that is necessary to stop banditry and recover the vast portions of land used for this criminal activity and ensure a productive and beneficial use of the land.
“We note with concern that the invasion of schools and places of worship and abduction or even killing of students and worshippers still go on. More so, the massive displacement of communities in some parts of our nation has taken a toll on the social, economic and political lives of our people, with millions of people in IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps across the country,” the Bishops pointed out.
The conference therefore urged the Government to intensify efforts and impactful actions to enable the displaced persons return to their ancestral homes.
The CBCN while lamenting over hardship and lack of basic needs facing many families, leading to struggling to survive despite our national wealth, further challenged the government to address the prevalence of poor Infrastructure including bad roads, erratic power supply, and failing public utilities.
The communique tagged “Working Together for Upholding Human Dignity in Our Nation”, noted that the dignity of the human person is the very foundation of human rights and religious liberty, rooted in both human reason and the revealed Word of God.
