Financial transparency and accountability must remain at the heart of the Church’s mission in Nigeria, Bishop Anthony Ademu Adaji of the Catholic Diocese of Idah has said.
In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of a one-day finance workshop that was organized by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Bishop Adaji emphasized that modern leadership demands sincerity in the management of resources and a renewed commitment to the common good.
“It is really very necessary that everyone in this modern time and modern world be accountable, transparent, and sincere with whatever he’s doing, with whatever income he receives, and whatever he spends,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop said.
According to the Bishop, transparency is not optional but essential in every sphere of leadership, especially within the Church.
“Transparency is needed in all directions,” he said during the February 20 interview.
The Nigerian Catholic Bishop, who serves as Chairman of the Finance Board of CBCN, explained that the workshop was convened to strengthen structures of accountability and to energize Church leaders to improve on what they are already doing.
“We are here to really energize and encourage each other to do what we have been doing and to do it better,” he said, describing the gathering as part of responsible leadership.
Bishop Adaji disclosed that at his first address to members of the Finance Council, he made transparency and accountability central pillars of his tenure.
“My first address to the members of the Finance Council is to ensure that during our tenure, there will be transparency, there will be accountability, and there will be real commitment to the sincerity of purpose,” he said
The Catholic Church leader challenged council members to uphold integrity in all financial dealings, saying, “All of us must do what we can to be transparent and to be sincere with whatever goes on here.”
For Bishop Adaji, leadership is not about personal comfort but about safeguarding resources for the benefit of all, including future generations.
“Leadership is about the common good; you are not just a leader for your own personal well-being and the well-being of those who are close to you, but you are a leader for the common good of all,” he explained.
The Nigerian member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria (MSPN) lamented poor leadership in many parts of Nigeria, saying, “The promotion of the common good for those who are alive and those who are yet to be born—we are having problems with that in general.”
The Nigerian Bishop described the workshop as having been “very enlightening, very informative, and very crucially important,” particularly in helping Church administrators manage limited resources more effectively.
“We’ll be able to know how we manage our little resources to become more effective in the apostolate,” he said.
The Bishop underscored the importance of proper reporting and planning as a key takeaway from the workshop, saying, “We should all try to make sure that we give an account of whatever monies are coming to other funds, and then plan to make the most of the resources to become more impactful in our apostolate.”
Bishop Adaji also called on Nigerians to become more politically conscious and to elect leaders capable of moving the country forward.
He urged citizens to vote wisely in the general elections come 2027 and to support candidates committed to good governance.
“Good leadership will help the Church greatly,” he said, linking political stability to the Church’s mission.
