Church Must Lead Nigeria’s Moral Renewal, Scholars Tell Faith Community

 

Prof. Jonah Onuoha

Speakers at Madonna University’s legacy lecture challenge religious institutions to reclaim values-driven leadership amid rising societal ills

Nigeria’s deepening moral decline dominated conversations at Madonna University, Okija, where scholars, clergy and students gathered for the institution’s maiden legacy lecture series. Speakers urged the church to take a decisive role in restoring national values and guiding the country toward ethical, responsible leadership.

Prof. Jonah Onuoha, an international relations expert and chairman of the occasion, warned that Nigeria’s moral fabric has weakened due to a long-standing absence of principled and value-driven leadership. He stressed that the church, historically a cornerstone of education and social development, must once again rise to confront challenges such as drug abuse, kidnapping, and the widespread obsession with illicit wealth.

According to him, faith-based institutions once set the pace for discipline, character formation and community service, foundations laid by early Catholic missionaries who established some of the nation’s earliest schools, hospitals and social facilities. He lamented that national standards declined significantly after the takeover of many missionary schools in the 1970s, creating room for negative influences, including the spread of cultism.

Onuoha described the lecture series as a forum designed to stimulate reflection and national dialogue, insisting that Nigeria’s healing begins with the restoration of moral leadership. He commended Cardinal Peter Okpaleke for his contributions to education, peacebuilding and spiritual development, noting that his commitment made him an ideal speaker for the event.

Delivering the keynote lecture titled “Faith and the Future: Reclaiming Moral Leadership in a Fractured Nigeria,” Cardinal Okpaleke emphasized the urgent need for a values-based approach to leadership formation. He said that institutions like Madonna University carry the responsibility of nurturing future leaders whose decisions will be anchored in integrity.

He argued that Nigeria cannot progress unless its citizens, regardless of status, commit to upholding the rule of law and respecting the nation’s cultural and ethical norms. Moral leadership, he noted, should not be seen as an exclusive domain of elites but as a collective responsibility that begins with individuals choosing to live by principles greater than personal interests.

“When every person is equal before the law,” he said, “society becomes orderly, and institutions earn the respect needed to function effectively. Faith, intellect and discipline must work together if we truly hope to revive this nation.”

Other contributors echoed the call for collaboration between the church and wider society. Prof. Chibueze Aniebo of the Department of Economics stressed the need for stronger partnerships to create shared standards that reflect the nation’s common values. He added that young people must be encouraged to cultivate their talents through discipline and clarity of purpose.

Prof. Nkechi Ezenwaamadu, Chairperson of the Planning Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Education and Arts, explained that the lecture series was created to become an enduring platform for moral, academic and cultural dialogue. She said it aims to bring thought leaders from academia, religious institutions and society together to address critical national issues and propose practical pathways forward.

In his vote of thanks, the Administrator of the Okija Campus, Rev. Fr. Cyriacus Emedolu, praised the collaboration that made the event possible. He urged students and staff to remain committed to high moral standards, noting that the university has prioritised balanced academic, cultural and religious formation since its establishment in 1999.

The event closed with a shared call for renewed moral clarity, one rooted in faith, lawfulness and a collective resolve to rebuild the nation’s ethical foundation.