Greenlight Theology Series 2009

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The Church’s Response to Human Rights Issues in Africa:
With Particular Reference to Nigeria
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Fr. Victor Chendekemen Yakubu 1

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Abstract:
The Church in Africa and the Universal Church in general has to exercise the
divine authority of promoting social justice and creating awareness of the causes
of injustice. The Church has to actively participate in changing the social,
economic and political structures that inflict human pain and misery on Africans.
This article is an attempt the set the records straight of how the Church can assist
achieve this divine objective by tackling social justice issues on the African
continent with some little bias on Nigeria. This will assist us judge our individual
contribution towards assisting the oppressed and the marginalized of our countries
in finding succour in the words of Christ, “You shall know the truth and the truth
shall make you free” [John 8: 32]. The Church in Africa can do more if we the
truth as found in the Holy Scriptures. But the words of Jesus are clear, “Do unto
others as you would like them to do unto you” [Lk. 6: 31] These words are meant
to assist us understand our purpose in life and this article begins from this
perspective. This article will preoccupy itself with this concept of man in regard to
his rights in society and it will explore the responses of the Universal Church, the
African Church and the local Nigerian Church to this basic need of man.

***
Introduction:
The violations of human rights in Africa today is becoming rampant and the Church must have to
respond to this growing phenomenon. According to the Second Vatican Council document, “the
focal point of our total presentation will be the person; whole and entire, body and soul, heart
and conscience, mind and will” [Gaudium et Spes, n. 3]. For the message of Christ to find roots
in the African continent, the Church has to identify with the poor, the distressed and
marginalized peoples of Africa whose fundamental human rights are daily tramped upon because
of race, sex, religion or opinion.

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There is much attention given to Africa today because of the multitude of social problems which
beset her especially the displaced peoples who die of hunger and malnutrition annually as a
result of wars and conflicts; and numerous peoples who suffer structural injustices under
oppressive and dictatorial governments and regimes. There is also the widening gap between the
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rich and the poor which continue to sideline the poor and subject them to servitude and silence.
The Church therefore as an institution of social justice has to speak against these injustices,
oppressions and violations of the fundamental human rights of man because some African
3
governments by so doing violate God’s purpose of creating human beings. The Church in
Africa and the Universal Church in general has to exercise the divine authority of promoting
social justice and creating awareness of the causes of injustices. The Church has to actively
participate in changing the social, economic and political structures that inflict human pain and
misery on Africans. This process involves conscientizing the Christians to condemn evil and any
form of injustice that debases human dignity and to support social welfare of the poor, to assist
the oppressed, to improve their conditions. The Church firmly believes that the neglect of human
rights by nations will inflict untold hardships and disaster on humanity and consequently threaten
world peace. No wander then, the Second Vatican Council document Gaudium et Spes declared
that, “the social order and its development must constantly yield to the person, since the order of
things must be subordinate to the order of persons and not the other way round . . .” [n. 26]. This
article will also reflect on the Special Synod for Africa with the theme ‘The Church in Africa
Towards the Third Millennium’. The bishops must address the question of human rights on the
continent so that the liberating message of Jesus Christ will yield abundant fruits.

The Doctrine of Human Rights:

Human rights are the God-given rights or privileges which are believed to be enjoyed by all
human beings by virtue of being human beings without distinction of race, birth, class, faith or
any other physical or spiritual trait. And because they are God-given rights, they are natural or
moral rights.4 According to Karl Peschke, the term natural right could be interchanged with
5
natural law which is concerned with the realm of justice and juridical order between men. No
human being can bestow these divinely given rights to man because they are already God’s gifts
for man’s enjoyment. The major task of the government inter alia is the defense of these divine

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rights of man through the appropriate organs of government by juridical protection, in order that
the exercise of one’s personal rights does not hinder another from exercising his or her rights.
Thus these rights enable us to live in decency, security and dignity.

The concept has a biblical foundation. In the Old Testament both in the Law [Deut. 24: 8 – 22;
Ex. 21: 16; Lev. 13 – 14] and the Prophets [Amos 8: 4 – 14], the idea is found. In the New
Testament, the axiom is summarized thus: “whatever you wish that men do to you, do so to
them” often referred to as the ‘golden rule’ [cf. Matt. 7: 12; and Lk. 6: 31].

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Islam as a religion too subscribes to this basic conviction. But this conviction is often
exaggerated to the extreme of denying; human rights’ in the name of God. For instance, the
imposition of Islamic Law as the Will of Allah for all or restricting the freedom of others
because of belief systems. That’s why both Christians and Muslims have to enter into dialogue to
comprehend each other’s views concerning the basic concepts of ‘human rights’.

The concept of the dignity of the human person is deeply rooted in the traditional African
heritage. But is should be noted that human rights as a concept was coined by the philosophers of
the Enlightenment and came to light during the American and French revolutions which
expanded into new thinking and legislation to protect peoples’ rights. However the concept has
an African understanding as can seen in early writings about Africa. According to E. A. Ruch
such rights “are human precisely because they are rooted in a conviction of man’s essential place
7
and role in the order of the universe.” Ruch’s idea is in agreement with Placid Tempel’s
conviction that “among the non-civilized people one finds an unaltered awareness of human
nature of rights.” 8 Modern African political scientists maintain this theory in the traditional view
of human rights as communitarian. For example, Julius Nyerere’s idea of social justice reveals
individual dignity not only for him as a basic principle, but also as a principle based on the
primary principle of social equality and beneficence. J. S. Mbiti has defined the African as
“notoriously religious”, a social person that seeks company and hospitality with both the known
and the unknown. 9 L. S. Senghor stated that, “in Africa, a right takes upon itself the form of the
rite which must be obeyed because it commands. It is inseparable from the obligations due to the
family and to the community.” Perhaps that’s why the African Charter supports individual duties

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to the family and society, to state and to legally recognized groups and the international
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community at large [cf. art. 17]. The concept of human rights therefore is not an importation
from Europe or America into Africa. The concept is not a colonial hangover or neo-colonial
attempt to infuse a check on the governments of post-independent Africa. Human rights are
central to the traditional worldview, and they are rather an anthropological concomitant of the
human person. The modern development has called for a desirable re-awakening in Africa’s
intellectual aptitude to respect and protect each other’s rights and duties. Such a rediscovery can
be rewarding towards acknowledging that human rights are intrinsically imbedded in human
nature springing from the nature of God himself. 11

Solidarity with the Poor of the World:

The Church has continued to show solidarity with the poor of the world. The present pontiff
Pope John Paul II preaches this doctrine everywhere in his world-wide pastoral visits. He
preaches the dignity of every person. Recently in one of his visits to Khartoum, Sudan, the
Pontiff expressed this solidarity with the poor of the world. He said, “The universal suffering of
millions of innocent impels me to voice my solidarity with the weak and defenseless, who cry
out to God for help, for justice, for respect of their God-given dignity as human beings, for their
basic human rights for freedom to believe and practice their faith without fear or discrimination.”
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The Church cannot remain indifferent to the social conditions of those to whom she preaches
the Gospel of Christ.

Most of the Church documents on social teachings embody the social development of man vis-à-
vis his society. The concern of the Church is the person who is considered paramount in Catholic
social attitude. Personhood is defended by rights and conditions of freedom and well-being in
which the person can be what he or she should be humanly before God. A violation of this reality
is considered a “grave sin of injustice.” Beginning with Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum [1891] ; Pius
XI’s Quadregesimo Anno [1931]; John XXII’s Mater et Magistra [1961]; Paul VI’s Populorum
Progressio [1967] and John Paul II’s Sollictude Rei Socialis [1081], Centissimus Annus,
Laborem Exercens and the recent Veritatis Splendor [1993], the Church continues to defend the
rights of the peoples of the world and maintain the importance of the rights of man in his
working place, in politics and his whole being in these great social documents.

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The Church in Africa has also recorded remarkable achievement in this area. The African
Bishops in 1984 promulgated the pastoral exhortation entitled, “The Church and Human
Promotion in Africa today” at the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and
Madagascar [SECAM] conference in Kinshasa. Out of the fifteen documents issued by SECAM,
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ten are based on human rights issues. Again the concept of justice is paramount in the
upcoming African Synod on “Evangelization towards the Year 2000.” The human rights agenda
is a special concern of the African Church.

The United Nations as a world organization has shown its solidarity with the poor of the world.
In 1948, it promulgated the Universal Declaration on Human Rights at Trocadero in Paris
France. The 30-point declaration strengthened the commitment of the body to the cause of
human rights. The first article of the declaration summarized the fundamental solidarity thus:
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason
and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” Only three
African countries were in attendance at this occasion, namely; Egypt, Liberia and Ethiopia, and
their impact was not so much. However, the declaration enables the citizens of every nation to
have a legal background and there from pursue the basic necessities of life such as food,
clothing, shelter, health care and education in an encouraging atmosphere. In Africa, our
governments elaborated an African Charter entitled Human and Peoples’ Rights, which
represents the governments; commitment to the value of human rights. It provides for non-
discrimination, freedom of religious worship, equality, the right to information and freedom from
aggression and the integrity of family as well as respect for community and individual interests.
He Charter never put an end to violent aggression, oppression and discriminations, etc. in the
African continent. 14 The African Charter drew its conclusion from the traditional heritage which
makes solidarity a driving force of social relationship among Africans. But again, it would seem
that each nation, regime or government in Africa interprets the Charter to suit its purpose. There
is a wide gap between theory and practice and between ideals and realities.

The social problems of Africa could be summarized briefly. These include the recurrent political
changes which cause instability in Africa, especially the intervention of the military in the

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political life of African democracy. This is generally seen as a negative factor. “Military rule
does not seem to be a blessing to Africa, nor is it a success and development. As evidence shows
today in many countries of Africa, military rule tends to slow down progress, as life becomes
risky for businessmen, foreign investors and entrepreneurs.” 15

These military regimes hold tenaciously to power to allow democracy and multi-party systems to
operate. More so, the independence of African nations is only in name. They still depend to a
large extend on former colonialists for economic growth, producing raw materials or Western
countries at a relatively low price. That is why African nations continue to borrow from the
International Monetary Fund [IMF] and the World Bank under stringent measures. Another
factor is poor leadership in Africa. The African leaders continue to siphon public funds into
private foreign accounts for personal usage to the detriment of their poor economies. The most
pitiful problem today is tribalism. This is unfortunate because nations are tearing apart into
pockets of political interests. Examples are the Nigeria-Biafra war, the UNITA rebellion in
Angola, the civil wars in Somalia and Sudan, the Ethiopian and Eritrean conflict, the Hutu-Tutsi
cleansing in Burundi, the Liberian war or the Mozambican war, etc. 16 The Church maintains that
solidarity refers to the authentic unity of persons which is the goal of Christian ministry. The
bond of solidarity brings respect, trust and love leading to true peace. If we want peace, we must
work for justice, as Pope Paul VI stressed in Populorum Progressio: “Peace cannot be limited to
a mere absence of war. . . No, peace is something that is built up day after day, in pursuit of an
order intended by God, which implies a more perfect form of justice among men.” 17

Human Rights and the Church in Africa:

A reflection on the Church’s response to human rights issues in Africa provokes a lot of
questions. One may ask the questions: “What is the African hierarchy doing to defend the rights
of citizens against oppressive governments? Why is the voice of the Church not often heard
when these social injustices are being perpetrated? Should violence be used to defend oneself
against such situations? In this soaring conditions, the Bishops of Africa and the concerned
Catholic minority [less that 20 per cent of the total African population] 18, have spoken
vehemently against oppressive regimes and governments which violate the rights of citizens. The
Church as an institution is a staunch protagonist of human rights’ defense, although delays are

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experienced before statements are issued. But better late than never. When it comes, it is always
forceful. However, let it be known that the promotion of human rights by the Church is not
always seen by the governments of Africa as being in their interests. Just as it is expediently
clear that no nation in the world respects human rights a hundred per cent. The individual and
collective statements of the Bishops at the regional and continental levels have assisted in the
promotion of human rights in Africa. The Bishops once said, “For us, what is at stake. . . is man,
the African man, irrespective of the colour of his skin, his ethnic origin, his social condition, or
religious environment; what is at stake are his aspirations and hopes, his struggles and suffering,
his success and failure.” 19

The Catholic Church in Africa has contributed to shaping the socio-political destinies of its
nations. Catholics who were formerly dissuaded from partisan politics [often referred to
derogatorily as “dirty game”] have engaged in politics in order to save the souls of their nations.
The Bishops too have contributed by way of bringing solutions to political problems. For
instance, in Congo, Zaire, Benin republic, Zambia and Malawi, the Catholic Bishops have been
elected as Presidents of National Assemblies to play major roles in the transition to democracy.
Other influential statements on the state of the economy have been issued by the Episcopal
Conferences of Cameroun, Kenya, Malawi, etc. 20 The role of the Church should not be partisan
in nature but through conscientizing the lay faithful to be involved in partisan politics and public
offices since the Church believes that Catholics can be “salt of the earth and light of the world”
[Matt. 5: 13, 14].

The continental body of Bishops, SECAM, has promoted the cause of human rights significantly
in Africa. It issued major documents on Justice and Evangelization in Africa [1981]; The Church
and Human Promotion in Africa [1984]; The Voice of SECAM for the Evangelization of Africa
[1987], etc. all of which express the connection between human rights issues and the
evangelization of the African continent. For instance, one of the documents says, “In the past, the
Church in Africa suffered from a general tendency consisting of considering evangelization and
human promotion as two parallel actions. But since the Second Vatican Council, the Church
recognizes that both are integral parts of her mission; each calls for the other and each conditions
the other in a kind of intimate and reciprocal causality as words and actions, as life-witness and

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its expression in speech. The Church does not support any form of violence in solving social,
political or economic problems. The Church will always be against any form of oppression or
violence among people or between one society and another. Preaching the gospel values demand
that Christianity return love for hatred, and prefer non-violent actions in the area of public
opinion. 22

The Response of the Nigerian Church to Human Rights Issues:

The Nigerian society is one that is bedevilled by all sorts of evils. What cannot be over-
emphasized is that poverty and other ills in the Nigerian society as well as in other African
nations are man-made. Nigeria is blessed with numerous natural mineral resources, but when it
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comes to equal distribution, the politics of sectionalism and tribalism dominate the scene. The
poor continue to suffer exploitation and marginalization as results of power gambles under socio-
political strcutures invented by the rich and the powerful.

The book, The Trouble with Nigeria by Chinua Achebe is a reminder of the woes inherent in the
Nigerian society. The most serious ills are the mismanagement and embezzlement of public
funds. Since Independence in 1960, according to Achebe, Nigeria has not found a qualitative
leadership structure that will bring Nigeria out of her economic and socio-political depression. 24
The basic human condition today in Nigeria is poverty and because of this there is a craze for
quick wealth. Cardinal Francis Arinze identifies the poor as “the man who has nobody to speak
for him, the town or group of towns which have no ‘big brother’ in a key position and the people
who are not in power in the nation, state, school board, trade union, improvement union, club,
25
society, etc.” Leadership in Nigeria has come to be equated with acquisition of wealth at the
neglect of the led.

The Church in Nigeria has to respond to this injustice according to the life-situation of the
society. The Bishops after Independence in 1960 issued a 40-page pastoral letter, “The Catholic
Church and Independent Nigeria.” In this letter, the Bishops explained the importance of
freedom. They said, “Only a free people can look other people in the face, only an atmosphere of
freedom makes possible the blossoming of . . . social institutions and cultural efforts that express

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the genius of a people, only a free country can adequately develop its internal resources and
move its contribution towards the building up of a world economy and social order.”26

Many years after this pastoral letter, the Nigerian social order still has not been established
owing largely to changes in governance. Of the thirty years of our country’s existence as a
corporate nation, the civilians have ruled for only nine years. The military continually seize
power under the pretext of revamping our economy, but this has never been achieved. The last
military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida ruled for eight years and handed a chaotic nation
to an in a contraption he tagged Interim National Government [ING] with Ernest Shonekan as
Chairman and Head of State. The complex socio-political problems inherited from the regime
could not be solved within the limited period of the interim government. The military again
struck and seized power, naming General Sani Abacha as Head of State. This pattern of military
interruption of democratic process of Nigeria is a deprivation of the exercise of the rights of
Nigerians to self-determination.

Under the administration of General Babangida, a number of social issues came up for
discussion. Perhaps the most crucial of this is the alleged smuggling of Nigeria into the
Organization of Islamic Conference [OIC]. The pluralistic character of Nigerian society does not
allow membership as reflected in the secularity of the Nigerian constitution. The Catholic
Bishops therefore deliberated on this pressing issue. They insisted that in a country such as ours,
the right of others should be respected as a matter of personal conviction especially the
administration of laws should be allowed to remain within the responsibilities of the various
religious groups to which individuals owe free allegiance. 27

Again the Bishops traced Nigeria’s social disorder to bad leadership and corrupt officials. They
asked the question in their communiqué titled, “The Nigeria We Want”, “Why do we have and
tolerate bad leadership?”According to them, leaders must be seen to have the people’s interest at
heart. “But when people are ready to sell their votes to the highest bidder; to hail every
successful coup and sing the praises of every incumbent regime, the conditions are created for
the easy emergence of bad leaders. Our society piles honours and chieftaincy titles on whoever
has made it rich, while honest, hard-working and professional excellence, often go

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unacknowledged.”28 The constant abuse of leadership positions in Nigeria today and the massive
29
abuse of privileges associated with such offices is the net effect of our current crises. This is a
further complication of the vast problems in this country. The Bishops continue to say that
political freedom and independence go together. But unless they are accompanied by economic
and social justice, they are meaningless. There has to be an all out war on bribery in all facets of
the society so that economic exploitation would have no base.

Most Nigerians today are suffering from different economic problems with the introduction of
the Structural Adjustment Programme [SAP] introduced by the General Babangida regime. The
pains of SAP were never evenly distributed. The poor continue to suffer in poverty while the rich
grow richer. Again the denial of justice to the minorities of this nation is a violation of their
rights by the government. For example the Ogoni people of Rivers State suffered the extraction
of oil from their lands without commensurate development and protection of the environment.
The denial of justice, equality and freedom of minorities of the Northern Nigeria including the
Middle Belt is a suppression of their rights by the powerful ethnic groups to suppress and
intimidate. One may add that the denial of the winner of the June 12 Presidential election is a
contradiction of the rights of Nigerians who voted in a free and fair election for the candidate of
their choice.

Conclusion:
The Church in our age either in Nigeria or in the other African nations must continue to identify
itself with the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized. Church leaders must continue to assert
their prophetic roles in the modern society. They must preach the Word within the life-situation
of their people in order to infuse the Christian values into them. The African Bishops should note
this very seriously as they converge for the Special Synod to deliberate on the religious,
economic, political and socio-cultural problems of the Church and African peoples.

The Nigeria Church should intensify its efforts in helping those whose lives have been
dehumanized by the institutionalized unjust and oppressive structures of society. The Church too
should try to harmonize theory and practice by first of all preaching justice within its ranks.
Above all, we should not allow Islam overthrow the values we have inherited from the

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missionaries who implanted the gospel on the African continent. Those who sacrificed their lives
and pleasure for the sake of the gospel to African so that the light of Jesus will shine in our hearts
and make us dignified. In this way, the Church will be seen as living out the gospel message first
instituted by Jesus and handed over to the leadership of the Church. If this message gets a place
in your head, then the Church of today has a special role to play in shaping the conscience of the
future which is known only to God. However, when we identify with defenseless, the Church
offers succour to the weak, the voiceless and marginalized. This puts the Church on a good
footing as the prophetic voice of society.

**

Further Reading
Richard A. McCormick, “Human Rights and the Mission of the Church.” Mission Trends, No. 4
edited by G. H. Anderson and T. F. Strensky, New York: Paulist Press, 1979.

Robert A. Evans & Alice Frazer Evans, Human Rights. Maryknoll: New York: Orbis Press,
1983.

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Endnotes:

1
Fr. Victor C. Yakubu is priest of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria, Nigeria. He can be reached on
viccheny@chendekemen.com. This article was first published in the NACATHS Journal of African Theology, [Vol.
4, March 1994, pp. 1 – 11], a theological journal for all Nigerian Major Seminaries. It is published in the internet
with the purpose of reaching a wider audience by the author to assist those undertaking theological research.
2
SECAM Document, Lagos 1987, p. 132.
3
A. U. Nebechukwu, “The Prophetic Mission of the Church in the Context of Social and Economic Oppression in
Africa” African Ecclesial Review, 3[1991]5, p. 285.
4
L. C. Magesa, “Some Practical Ethical Considerations for the Promotion of Human Dignity in Africa.” African
Ecclesial Review, 3[1991]2, p. 12.
5
K. H. Peschke, Christian Ethics, Vol. 1: Genral Moral Theology. Alcester: C. Goodliffe Neale, 1989 Revised
Edition, p. 142.
6
J. O. Onaiyekan, “Evangelization and Human Rights Issues in Africa today: Some Practival Reflections.” West
African Journal of Ecclesial Studies, 3[December 1991], p. 3.
7
E. A. Ruch & K. C. Anyanwu, African Philosophy, Rome [1981], p. 137.
8
P. Tempel, La Philosophie Batoue, Paris [1961], p. 83ff.
9
J. S. Mbiti, African Religions and Philosophy. [Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books, 1969], pp. 92 – 93.
10
D. Kiganahe, “Human Rights in Africa: Princiles and Realities.” Pro Mundi Vita Studies. No. 16 [August 1990],
p. 27.
11
S. O. Anyanwu, “The Notion of the Human Person in the African Traditional Society and Its Relevance to
Christianity and Modern Society.” Jos Studies, 2[June 1991]1, p. 13.
12
Bishop M. Max, “The Cause of Human Rights in Sudan.” WELKIRCHE, 2/1993, p. 35.
13
Onaiyekan, art. cit., p. 1.
14
Kiganahe, art. cit., p. 28.
15
C. B. Okolo, “The African Church and Signs of the Times”, Spearhead, No. 55, p. 33.
16
N. I. Mbogu, “Major Social Issues in Africa: A Challenge to the African Synod.” Africa Ecclesial Review,
34[1992]4, p.228.
17
Cf. E. Hillman, “Action for Justice in Christian Ministry.” African Ecclesial Review, 32[190]4, pp. 203 – 204.
18
Onaiyekan, ort. Cit., p. 4.
19
Quoted by Obiora F. Ike, ed., Catholic Social Teaching En-Route in Africa. [Enugu, Nigeria: CIDJAP Publication,
1991], p. xix.
20
C. J. Okoye, “The Synod for Africa: Five Themes and Some Issues at Stake.” Africa, faith & Justice Network,
2[Sept./Oct., 1991]6, p. 92/248
21
SECAM Document, The Church and Human Promotion in Africa Today. No. 51.

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22
D. J. O’Brien & Thomas A. Shanon, Renewing the Face of the Earth: Catholic Documents on Peace, Justice and
Liberation. [New York: Paulist Press, 1979], pp. 399 – 400.
23
C. B. Okolo, “Social Teachings Gaudium et Spes: The Nigerian Connection.” Catholic Social Teachings En-Route
in Africa, [Enugu: CIDJAP Publication, 1991], p. 290.
24
C. Achebe, The Trouble with Nigeria, [Enugu: Fourth Dimension Publishers, 1983], p. 7ff.
25
Francis Cardinal Arinze, Lenten Pastoral, [Onitsha: Tabansi Press, 1972], p. 1.
26
Joint Pastoral Letter of the Nigerian Hierarchy, 1960, p. 3.
27
“We Cannot Be Silent.” Statement of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, as found in WELKIRCHE,
9/1988, p. 267.
28
“The Nigeria We Want.” Communiqué of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria. Catholic Life Magazine,
October 1989, pp. 10 – 11.
29
Ibid. p. 16.

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