.Chukwudumebi Norbert ATTA
Preamble
For some background, one notes that it was with his Apostolic Letter Spes non Confundit (translated in English as ‘Hope Does Not Disappoint), that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, announced on May 9, 2024 that the year 2025 would mark the occasion of an ordinary Jubilee year: Jubilee 2025, Pilgrims of Hope. This Jubilee Year started officially on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome (Italy). Since its start, various dioceses (in different countries), schools and religious congregations, have had and have diverse activities, or events, set up to honour and celebrate the Jubilee 2025 with its emphasis on ‘Hope’. The Nigerian Church is not left out, with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria making the Jubilee Year a major item of its last first plenary meeting that held in March (in Abuja).
The appropriateness of speaking, and taking actions, to spread hope today, cannot be overemphasized. The truth is that Nigeria, and the world at large, is currently navigating through a lot of trials and pains (despite the some progress or triumphs) in the world. Thus, whether one thinks of the still-enduring shocks, or after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, or the flagrant crisis around the world – from Ukraine, through Congo, or here in Nigeria, where an avalanche of socio-political, cultural and economic quandaries threatens hope (or hoping!), one would conclude that Nigeria, and the world, indeed need hope. The Holy Father’s call is, therefore, in order. But how does one speak, or spread, hope in a melancholic Nigeria, and world?
What Makes God for Nigeria!
One need not go far to know the state of Nigeria, as a country that is so much wounded and bleeding in different parts of its ‘body’. Whether one considers the large army of unemployed, and yet-many unemployable Nigerians, the throng of out of school children, especially in the north of the country, the growing insecurity characterized by kidnapping, hostage and outright killings, the widening divide between the few rich and bludgeoning population of very-poor Nigerians, then growing inflation and its outcomes, the difficulties and despair across the country stares one in the face. Unfortunately the Nigerian situation is not helped by decision-makers at various levels – political, as seen in some selfish politicians; religious, with many hiding under religion to inflict pains and poverty on the already-suffering masses, and even traditional, where local leaders collaborate with the politicians and even ‘foreign’ elements, to steal from, subjugate and suffer the local population. The mere site of the crowd of bowls-holding, hungry-looking, children aged between the ages of 4 -14 years, begging for alms on major northern-Nigerian cities paints a gory picture of Nigeria’s present and future.
With the continuing killings in parts of the country by yet-to-be-named, at least officially, criminals and the seeming helplessness of government and/via the security personnel to stem the ugly tide, one would not comfortably argue against the description of Nigeria as a country that is battered and in need of help, with its people in need of hope. In other words, there is a mountain of challenges against proposing hope in a battered, bloodied and struggling, Nigeria.
The Challenge of Speaking or Spreading Hope to/in Nigeria Today!
The state of Nigeria makes the task of speaking or spreading hope in the country today, an arduous one. The insecurity and violence, and increasing threats to more violence, by known and unknown non-state actors in the country, continues to make daily living dangerous and unstable in Nigeria, and for many Nigerian, and questions attempts to give hope or assurance (of present or future remedy to the malaise) to the population, a tall order. The situation is not helped, rather worsened, by the disturbing economic situation seen in growing unemployment, fall of the naira and the likes, all of which are creating or spreading more sense of hopelessness on the future (in the minds of many Nigerians). Attempts to argue otherwise about Nigeria and Nigerians, often meet resistance, and even misunderstanding, thereby challenging efforts to give hope across the length of the country.
The reality of poor governance and corruption in the country further undermines hope among many Nigerians today. Indeed, Nigerians continue to live under (or through) governments that are rich in promises but grossly underwhelming in fulfilling them. Among the consequences of bad government in the country is declining infrastructure and social services including the underfunded education and health services, all of which contributing to poor quality of life and hopelessness across the land (particularly among the youth). Again, the observable efforts by governments at stifling civic participation, including credible elections and peaceful demonstrations, has led further to dwindling hopes among the country’s population.
The implications of the above described picture of the country is growing hopelessness, waning of patience, and the japa-syndrome that have seen, and still see, Nigerians leave in droves to just any country, including less developed ones, for want of the proverbial green pasture. Nevertheless, despite the foregoing, one would not deny some glimmers of hope in the Nigerian horizons. For example, besides its bludgeoning population and the dreams implicit in it, are changes, if not breakthroughs, in certain aspects of the nation’s life which support maintain hope, even in the midst of daily struggles, sufferings and sicknesses, in the country.
The Urgency of Speaking and Spreading Hope in Nigeria
—like young Nigerians creating change through tech, music, entrepreneurship, and activism. But overall, it is clear that maintaining hope in Nigeria today, feels like a daily struggle for many. However, such should not debar us from noting the imperative of hope for national advancement.
In the face of Nigeria’s (and the world’s) multifaceted challenges — including political, economic, cultural and socio-religious, so many people would choose despondency or giving up on life, and some have actually done, going by the reckless abandon with which they treat their own lives and others. Yet, one clear message in the ugly account recounted of Nigeria’s situation, examples of which could be is the urgency of spreading hope. In fact, the need to sow and spread hope in Nigeria today, cannot be overstated, and it is here that the Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope, speaks to Nigerians.
The exigency of building or encouraging hope in our literarily battered country and world is supported by the fact that hope serves as a catalyst for resilience, unity, and proactive engagement, among other virtues that are essential for navigating the current crises facing Nigerians, and humanity. Hope would thus serve as a prompt, an elixir, to push Nigerians towards taking actions (not just wishing) to confront and arrest, the multi-dimensional crisis – humanitarian, socio-cultural and infrastructural, facing the nation. Given up certain no solution to moving the nation forward!
Notably, building hope in the populace, especially among younger Nigerians, would help them confront and conquer the age-long ethnic and tribal divide in the country, which have so often been employed by deceptive politicians and local leaders, to sow seeds of discord and destruction among the people. In fact, knowing how much they would gain, rather than lose, buy being positive and committing themselves to a better Nigeria, would result in transformations across various sectors of the country’s make-up. Thus, hope should be built and spread!
Again, the disturbing situation where religion had been weaponized in Nigeria, and which had seen religions (especially the predominant ones) contribute so much to the ugly divide and state of Nigeria, would no doubt be addressed, at least to a great extent, via sowing and disseminating of hope, instead of strife. The core tenets of the various religions on the supremacy of God, dignity of the human person, love etc., if well inculcated would encourage dialogue and mutual understanding, and possibly galvanize Nigeria, and Nigerians, to work for a better future.
Conclusion: Easter and the urgency of Hope
The Easter season provides Christians, and Nigerians, an opportune time to key into the jubilee Year 2025. More than anything else, the Easter is a reminder to everyone – following from the experience or example, of Christ, that pains and suffering do not have the last words in human situations. It thus engenders hope for a better tomorrow, to a ‘resurrection’ after the ‘passion and death’, and thus calling on all to a positive disposition and positive actions, to ameliorate the Nigerian (and human) situation.
In fact, the events of the Lord’s resurrection speaks hope to our despondent situation, as well as challenge each, and everyone, to be agents of hope in a suffering and bloodied Nigeria, and world. Thus, Pope Francis words that “Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God’s love: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or the sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Rom 8:35.37-39). Here we see the reason why this hope perseveres in the midst of trials: founded on faith and nurtured by charity, it enables us to press forward in life” (see Spes non Confundit #3), is one that speak to every Nigerian, and should encourage all to not give up, but to hold on. Indeed, there is no doubt that hope upholds us.
- Fr Atta writes from Veritas University, Abuja
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