“Ecologically, repent and be converted”: Catholic Archbishop Urges Christians in Nigeria to Protect Creation

Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja called on Nigerians to take personal responsibility for protecting the environment during an event for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Speaking on September 1 at the La Verna Reconciliation and Healing Garden in Abuja, the archbishop urged Christians to undergo an ecological conversion to combat deforestation, pollution, and improper waste disposal.

Archbishop Kaigama told ACI Africa that caring for creation is a duty for every individual and community rather than a task left only to the government. He noted that the loss of trees and natural resources has reached a point where younger generations are unfamiliar with the environment that existed during his childhood. He suggested that these environmental changes should lead Nigerians to examine how their own actions contribute to degradation.