Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has expressed deep concern over what he described as Nigeria’s steady deterioration, saying the country is no longer what it used to be.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Thursday, February 26, 2026, the respected cleric reflected on his decades-long experience of the nation’s political and social evolution.
“I have been in this country now for 82 years. For 60 of them, I was quite aware of what was happening. And I am not the only one who feels that this is not the country we lived in before,” he said.
The former Archbishop made the remarks while addressing broader concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria about insecurity, governance, and democratic decline. Although he acknowledged that there have been areas of progress, he stressed that the overall trajectory in critical sectors has been troubling.
Onaiyekan’s comment underscored a sense of nostalgia and disappointment, suggesting that Nigeria’s current realities particularly in governance and public trust, contrast sharply with earlier periods in the nation’s history.
His reflection adds to a growing chorus of voices calling for introspection and reform, as debates intensify over the direction of the country and the state of its democratic institutions….See More
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