Governance Reform: Catholic Bishops Push for Regional Autonomy to Address Nigeria’s Challenges

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, has advocated for a return to the regional system of government as a strategy to curb corruption and realign the nation towards progress. Speaking during the opening session of the 2024 Second Plenary Assembly of the CBCN at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Auchi, Edo State, Archbishop Ugorji emphasized that a decentralized governance structure could be key to addressing Nigeria’s enduring issues of corruption, mismanagement, and ineffective governance.

As Nigeria continues to struggle with these deep-rooted challenges, Archbishop Ugorji’s call for a regional system of government resonates as a potential pathway to reform. By returning to a governance model that allows regions greater autonomy, he suggests that the nation could better manage resources, enforce accountability, and create a more balanced development across the country.

However, the suggestion has sparked a range of reactions among residents in Ibadan. Some argue that reverting to a regional system could lead to division and undermine national unity, fearing it might reignite ethnic tensions and weaken the federal structure. Others have praised the proposal, viewing it as a bold and necessary step towards tackling corruption and restoring effective governance.

The CBCN’s call for a return to regional governance is more than a simple policy suggestion—it’s a challenge to Nigerians to consider innovative and perhaps radical solutions to the country’s persistent problems. Whether or not this proposal gains traction, it highlights the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s governance crisis with approaches that transcend the status quo.