“Land is Angola’s social security”: Catholic Church, Government Urged to Lead Agricultural Regeneration Efforts

Referring to the early days of the Songhai Center in Benin, he said that soil fertility was recovered using simple, natural, and low-cost techniques. 

“We already have the technology. It is possible to reverse soil degradation and create sustainable communities. It is urgent that Angola wake up to this reality,” he said.

Friar Nzamujo also cited Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, saying the encyclical reinforces the moral and social responsibility to care for the environment.

He further challenged the Catholic Church in Angola to take the lead, noting that it has land, expertise, and influence. 

“The Church has land, knowledge, and influence. There is no need to tell the government what to do. If the Church starts, the government will see the benefits and open its eyes. This is the path to transforming the country,” he said.

Friar Nzamujo recalled how he reclaimed one hectare of land destroyed by modern agriculture. “Within one year, the dead land was alive again. No chemicals, no herbicides, no pesticides,” he said, explaining that water harvesting and ecological reconstruction were central to the process.

Today, he added, the Songhai initiative has been allocated 10,000 hectares to develop a large, integrated city.

Emphasizing the role of young people, Friar Nzamujo told ACI Africa that six young Angolan Dominicans were traveling with him to the Songhai Center in Benin to receive hands-on training in regenerative agriculture, sustainable water management, crop integration, and agro-industrial production. 

“They will learn how to transform abandoned farms into self-sustaining communities and bring this knowledge back to Angola,” he said.

He also underscored the importance of economic autonomy, warning against exporting raw wealth while importing poverty. 

“Production, processing, and commercialization must remain in Africa. That is how the economy is strengthened, and young people find dignity in work,” Friar Nzamujo said, pointing to Songhai’s integrated model that links soil, crops, livestock, aquaculture, and agro-industry without waste or pollution.

Beyond agriculture, he underscored the need for cultural and educational transformation, calling for an integration of knowledge, ethics, and spirituality.

The Friar said Africa’s crisis is not only economic or political but also “epistemological and cultural,” rooted in the erosion of confidence in local knowledge caused by colonization.

Addressing participants at the conference, the 75-year-old scientist said Africa must rebuild using its own tools, history, and culture, rather than relying on external models. 

“We must integrate head, heart, and hands—thinking, feeling, and acting together—to rebuild communities and restore dignity,” Friar Nzamujo said.

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The Songhai Center, founded in 1985, operates as an experimental farm, training school, and development hub combining agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, renewable energy, and agro-industry. It is widely regarded as a replicable model of sustainable development across Africa.

Verônica Pereira who coordinated the January 27-29 gathering said that event allowed participants to reflect deeply on the legacy of colonization and identify concrete paths for African transformation. 

She described Friar Nzamujo’s experience as central to demonstrating that a sustainable, ecological, and solidarity-based African model is achievable.

Pereira added that some Angolan youth will visit the Songhai Center to gain practical experience and apply what they learn back home, creating tangible examples of social and economic renewal. 

She said the initiative shows that Africa can generate its own solutions by uniting local knowledge, science, and spirituality.