Aid to the Church in Need: Food crisis in Nigeria

Food crisis in Nigeria - seminary facing closure

Posted by ACN News on 10/6/2008, 6:16 pm
Message modified by board administrator 7/8/2008, 1:28 pm

ACN News 10.06.2008

Food crisis in Nigeria -- seminary facing closure

The Catholic seminary in Makurdi in central Nigeria is facing the stark choice of closure as a result of the worldwide food crisis. This was reported last week by the Rector of the seminary, Monsignor Kenneth Enang to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need(ACN).

This Catholic major seminary, in which no fewer than 520 seminarians from 15 dioceses around the country are preparing for the priesthood, has already been forced to ration the food on account of "astronomical prices", Father Enang told ACN. But despite this, the seminary is still unable to find the means to cover even its most essential costs. Added to this is the cost of diesel needed to run the generator that provides electrical power to the seminary. Over the period of one week the price of diesel has risen by a third.

Since the beginning of the food crisis in April this year the seminary had already extended its credit limit in order to survive. The time is fast approaching where the rector will be forced to close the seminary due to outstanding debts and the very real problem of students suffering from malnourishment.

Only a short time ago they had still been dreaming of enlarging the seminary, since the space is no longer sufficient for the many seminarians there. Not so long ago there were 400 students, but now there are already 520 and the facilities are not adequate for such an increase. At the time Father Enang had told ACN of his delight at the "good vocations" and the well-qualified staff. He described the seminary as something of a "bridge“ between the North and South of Nigeria. It was a "wonderful experience“, he added, to see the way in which these young men from all over the country got on together. One could see in it "how Nigeria ought to look".

The rector has described the growth of the Catholic Church in Nigeria as "phenomenal". The adherents of the traditional African religions in particular are often drawn to Christianity and often say, "Now this is what we really need!" Yet despite these many vocations, there are still too few priests, especially in the rural areas. In the Makurdi seminary they have tried to combine the needs of the modern and traditional lifestyles, so that the students, in their future life as priests, can cope with the most varied situations. Now they are threatened with closure by the 20th of June. Given the massive rise in food prices, the home dioceses of the seminarians are likewise in no position to contribute anything more towards the support of the seminarians, so that there is little help to be expected from this quarter either.

Father Andrzei Halemba, who heads the Africa desk of ACN, reports that the worldwide food crisis is becoming an ever greater problem for seminaries throughout the Third World and is likely to threaten the continued functioning of many other seminaries. There is an urgent need to help them. In Africa, for example, feeding the seminarians accounts for the major part of the running costs of the seminaries, and further drastic price rises can be expected here, he believes.

For many decades now ACN has been helping for the training of priests throughout the world. Last year the charity was able to help over 15,700 seminarians, including the seminary in Makurdi, which ACN has been supporting for many years now.

To help this cause please contact the Sydney office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web:www.aidtochurch.org

Photo of Monsignor Kenneth Enang

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org