The federal government and the House of Representatives have acknowledged that Nigeria’s worsening poverty and humanitarian challenges are too large for government to address alone, calling for stronger partnerships with faith based organizations, the private sector and civil society.
The appeal came during the unveiling of a 2 billion naira endowment fund and integrated charity programme launched by the Knights of St Mulumba Nigeria, designed to provide long term financing for healthcare, education, legal aid, support for widows and orphans, correctional services and emergency relief nationwide.
Speaking on behalf of House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Festus Adefiranye, who chairs the House Committee on Christian Pilgrimage Affairs, said religious organizations play a vital role in nation building because they command public trust, shape moral values and reach communities that formal institutions often struggle to serve. He said sustainable development requires genuine partnership among public institutions, faith groups, the private sector and civil society, describing the endowment model, which preserves capital and spends only investment returns, as a form of prudent stewardship worth emulating.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, represented by his special assistant Simon Tyungu, said government alone cannot address every developmental challenge and that lasting progress depends on strong partnerships across sectors, describing the fund as an institutionalization of compassion and urging Nigerians and corporate bodies to support it.
Supreme Knight of the Knights of St Mulumba Nigeria, Steve Adehi, said the 73 year old Catholic organization could no longer rely solely on membership dues due to economic decline and a shrinking membership base, and that the fund would provide a dependable revenue stream while easing the burden of constant levies on members. He said the group’s constitution would be amended to ensure no leadership, present or future, can access the fund’s principal sum, with only investment returns used to finance projects.
