The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) says Nigeria has recently witnessed positive developments under President Bola Tinubu’s watch.

The bishops said this in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held between March 8 and 14 in Abuja.

They highlighted the recent developments, including progress in the petroleum sector, rehabilitation and construction of roads nationwide, the introduction of the student loan scheme and the new minimum wage for public servants.

The communique was jointly signed by Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, president of CBCN and Donatus Ogun, the group’s secretary.

The Catholic bishops commended the strides made by Mr Tinubu’s government at various levels, especially in promoting agriculture.

“Our nation has recently witnessed some positive development. These include the reinvigoration of the petroleum industry, the rehabilitation of some dilapidated roads and the construction of new ones across the nation, the introduction of the student loan scheme, the new minimum wage, and the reduction in the debt service-to-revenue ratio and the proposal for new tax regime.

“The Nigeria Correctional Service Act 2019 was a landmark in the history of prison services in Nigeria. It was a shift from the perception of the prison as a centre for retribution to a “correctional” facility with a focus on reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

“We commend some cheering strides made by governments at various levels to promote agriculture. We equally appreciate the efforts of some security operatives, who put their lives on the line to fight the criminality and put an end to their savagery,” the CBCN said.

However, the bishops warned that the gains have been overshadowed by prevailing economic hardship, food inflation, and insecurity.

“In spite of all these, our nation still has some serious challenges bordering on harsh socio-economic situation, persistent insecurity across the nation, rising youth unemployment and restiveness.

“There is a high cost of essential goods, including food. Cases of kidnapping and the mindless killing of innocent people still abound,” they said.

The bishops, however, expressed disappointment over the 2023 general elections, citing irregularities and loss of public confidence in the system while calling for stronger electoral laws and impartial execution of duties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the judiciary.