Christian business leaders decry value collapse, vow to reclaim Nigeria’s Marketplace

With corruption scandals rocking public institutions and trust in corporate leadership at an all-time low, a coalition of Nigerian Christian executives has declared that the country’s real crisis is the collapse of values in its economic and political systems, decrying the “moral bankruptcy” of the nation’s marketplace. Meeting in Abuja under the aegis of The Covenant Nation Abuja Corporate Executives Community Group, the leaders vowed to “reclaim the soul of the marketplace” through ethical leadership, accountability and active civic engagement. Their position was contained in a communiqué issued on Thursday in Abuja at the end of the roundtable themed, “Leading with Purpose: Reclaiming the Soul of the Marketplace”.
The executives warned that Nigeria’s decline is not merely about corruption or mismanagement but the erosion of identity and ideals. “Knowing who we are, what we stand for, and the ideals we uphold must be intentionally taught and embedded across all spheres of influence,” the communiqué read. They warned that prevailing mindsets — defined by shortcuts, impunity, and mediocrity — were strangling productivity and national development as well as poisoned the workplace. 
Integrity, excellence, and accountability, they said, must be restored as “non-negotiable standards” for growth. Participants said the days of endless conferences without outcomes must end. “Ideas must translate into actions through a deliberate roadmap anchored on shared vision and clear end goals,” they declared, pledging to take bolder and riskier steps to change entrenched systems that reward dishonesty. Participants committed themselves to mentorship of the next generation based on biblical principles, with systems that reward integrity rather than fraud. They also committed to active civic engagement, including participation in grassroots politics, to resist the capture of leadership by corrupt interests.
Other commitments include instilling an ownership culture in workplaces and communities to replace dependency with accountability; promotion of an ownership mindset to end the culture of blame and entitlement that has crippled workplaces and governance; and, sstaining the initiative with a deliberate action plan that produces measurable reforms rather than another cycle of talk-shops. They also committed to active involvement in politics and governance, particularly at the grassroots level, to break the cycle of corrupt leadership.
The communiqué, signed by Victor Prince Dickson, Head of TCN Abuja Connect Group, and Moradeke Okunrinboye, Lead of the Corporate Executives Community, was unequivocal in its warning that unless Nigeria’s leaders in both business and politics begin to model integrity, mentor the next generation, and rebuild trust, the nation risks losing its economic soul entirely. “We reaffirm our responsibility to lead with vision, virtue and conviction. Together, we pledge to be catalysts of transformation, restoring the moral and ethical foundation upon which enduring prosperity is built,” the statement concluded.