Association Urges Christians To Invest

Chairman of the Northern Christian Association, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has urged Christians across the country to invest in the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Initial Public Offering (IPO), saying business and investment should not be viewed along religious lines.

Hayab made the call during a media parley in Kaduna, where he urged Christians to overcome their reservations about the offer and take advantage of the investment opportunity.

He said responsible Christian leaders should encourage their members to invest rather than discourage them from participating in legitimate business opportunities.

He stressed that business has no religion, urging Christians not to allow religious considerations to prevent them from participating in investment opportunities.

“Business is business. What Dangote is selling is not Islam. Dangote is selling shares. Shares bring money,” he said.

According to Hayab, investment could help individuals and families build wealth and secure the future of their children, adding that Christians should look beyond salaries as their only source of income.

He said the heavy reliance on salaries among church members also affected church finances, as contributions tended to increase around payday and decline afterwards.

“The reason why our offering is poor in many of our churches is because we are not investing. Seventy per cent of our church members are relying on salary, so church offering only increases on payday but after that nothing,” he said.

The chairman urged Christians to consider investing for their children and grandchildren, particularly to support their future education and other needs.

He also said Nigeria’s economy would grow faster if more citizens had stakes in businesses operating in the country.

“The economy of Nigeria will grow faster if all Nigerians have a stake in the investment that is in Nigeria. But if the investment belongs to some other people, then we are making a mistake,” he said.

Hayab said the Dangote business should also be viewed differently from political parties and politicians, whose positions could change after elections.

He urged Christians to embrace investment as part of long-term financial planning, saying it could benefit families and future generations.