Leverage religion for development, Bishop Ajang urges Nigerians

The Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese, Most Rev. David Ajang, has urged Nigerians to leverage religion as a platform for driving socio-economic development, rather than limiting it to a means of divine communication.

Ajang made the call on Thursday during a pilgrimage to Alogani Hill in Nassarawa-Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, as part of activities marking the Silver Jubilee of the Catholic Diocese of Lafia.

He said that adherents of all religions should move beyond private piety and utilise their faith to make meaningful contributions to societal development.

According to him, religion possesses the trust, networks and reach required to foster development, promote peaceful coexistence and improve livelihoods across sectors of the economy.

The bishop explained that Alogani Hill holds historical significance for the diocese, noting that Irish missionaries established a Catholic church on the hill in 1938 to propagate the gospel and introduce Western education.

“Nearly nine decades later, their footprints remain visible despite the area being largely deserted,” he said.

Ajang added that the church on Alogani Hill played a key role in the spread of Catholicism in the northern part of the state and was later linked to Jos and Makurdi Dioceses, which eventually led to the creation of the Lafia Diocese in 2001.

He noted that the Catholic Church had designated the site as a Diocesan Pilgrimage Centre to enable members within and outside the state to learn about the history of the church.

The bishop also presided over spiritual activities, including the Stations of the Cross, confession and Holy Mass, aimed at penance and spiritual renewal during the pilgrimage, which lasted over five hours.

He offered prayers for early missionaries who, he said, sacrificed comfort for evangelism, moving across difficult terrains to build schools, clinics and communities that improved the lives of the people.

Some pilgrims who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the exercise strengthened their faith and deepened their appreciation of the missionaries’ legacy.

Mrs Patricia Akawu, the General Manager of Nasarawa Broadcasting Service, and Mr Godwin Francis, the Chairman of the Diocesan Laity Council, commended the early missionaries for establishing the church on Alogani Hill.

They said that the church not only spread the gospel but also laid the foundation for Western education in the area.

They urged Catholics and Nigerians to sustain the legacies of service, education and community development handed down by the missionaries.