The Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion has announced plans to establish the Anglican University of Technology.
It says this is part of its efforts to contribute to the re-orientation in the nation’s educational system that will be relevant in the contemporary world.
The hint was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Communion’s four-day Standing Committee held in Lagos from Monday, 20th September to Friday, 24th September, 2021.
The Standing Committee is the highest policy making body of the church made up of the House of Bishops, Clergy, Laity and Bishop wives.
It was presided over by the Most Reverend Henry Chukwudum Ndukuba, Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, accompanied by his wife and National President of the Mother’s Union, Mrs Angela Eberechukwu Ndukuba.
The meeting was attended by 163 Bishops, 151 Clergy and 97 lay delegates. Also in attendance were four Bishops from the Province of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), led by its Primate and Chairman of the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON), the Most Reverend Dr Foley Beach.
The theme of the event was ‘Abiding in Christ: God’s Panacea in an Unstable World’.
In the communiqué, the church decried the spate of violence and issues of insecurity all over the country. It particularly lamented the gruesome killing of one of its clerics in the Diocese of Orlu, the Rev Emeka Merenu.
It called on the government at various levels to take actions that would restore confidence in its ability to protect lives and stem the tide of despair and hopelessness.
The Standing Committee also bemoaned the unfortunate situation brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic, and appreciated the government’s efforts to vaccinate the people against this pandemic, but wants the efforts to be taken to all parts of Nigeria.
The Church also noted the “alarming” regularity of industrial actions across the country, which it said was adversely affecting the economic development of Nigeria.
It, therefore, enjoined stakeholders to adopt conciliation/mediation and other Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) mechanisms.
“The Standing Committee urges the government to endeavor to keep the agreements reached at the roundtable conference between them and various organisations,” it noted.
It also commended the federal government on the diversification of the nation’s transport system through the introduction of rail transport and the ongoing construction of the second Niger Bridge.
It called on the government to expedite actions to complete the projects.
However, the Church expressed concern over the durability of some of the roads constructed.
It also expressed concern at the rate at which the government is accumulating debts, urging the government to exercise restraints in further borrowing so as not to jeopardise the future of all Nigerians.
On the increasing clamouring for self-determination across the country “because of varying forms of injustice in governance”, the Church urged the government to initiate dialogues and foster inclusive governance to address the reasons for the agitations “and stop gagging people with opposing views.”