He continues, “When our identity as sons and daughters of God is truly embraced and lived, it becomes transformative, not only for individuals but for society as a whole. Much of what afflicts our nation today flows from a separation between faith and ordinary life, where belief remains private while daily decisions are shaped by other values.”
“Living authentically as sons and daughters of God heals this division and allows faith to shape the very spaces where our common life is formed. In this way, hope becomes credible when it is translated into responsibility,” Fr. Banjo says.
He adds, “If we walk this year as sons and daughters of God, choosing what builds, persevering in what is right, and acting with courage where we stand, then this year can become not merely another chapter in our history, but a turning point in the renewal of our nation.”
The Catholic official further says Nigeria’s renewal depends on renewed consciences, not only political reforms.
In his message themed “Faith at the Service of the Nation,” Fr. Banjo urges citizens to act with honesty, fairness, and respect for public goods, and calls on leaders, professionals, workers, and business owners to reject corruption and abuse of office, especially as the country prepares for future elections.
With Nigeria preparing for the 2027 general elections, Fr. Banjo urges citizens to make choices guided by “truth, conscience, and the common good, rather than by ethnic sentiment, religious bias, money, or divisive rhetoric.”
He also challenges public servants, professionals, traders, artisans, and workers to reject “bribery and corruption”, and to see their work as “service ultimately rendered to God.”
Highlighting the family as the foundation of society, Fr. Banjo says the “quality of a nation is shaped first in its homes.”
He describes parents and teachers as custodians of a “sacred trust,” responsible for forming consciences through faith, discipline, honesty, and respect.
Paying particular attention to young people, whom he describes as “already bearing responsibility for the present, not only the future”, Fr. Banjo encourages them to “embrace discipline, formation, and purpose, and to reject drugs, crime, and destructive lifestyles that masquerade as freedom but ultimately lead to loss and brokenness.”
