The experience of Dunamis also illustrates why institutional cooperation matters, good ideas need supportive public institutions to become meaningful projects. Imagine the transformation Nigeria could experience if every major religious organisation, business conglomerate and financially capable institution committed itself to addressing at least one pressing challenge within its immediate environment.
By Shu’aibu Usman Leman
There is a world of difference between preaching love and demonstrating it. The former requires words; the latter demands sacrifice, commitment and a willingness to make a tangible difference in people’s lives. While eloquent sermons on compassion and service may inspire, the true measure of these virtues lies in our readiness to ease the burdens of others.
This distinction brings to mind the recent initiative by Pastor Dr Paul Enenche, Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre (DIGC), and his wife, Dr Becky Enenche. At a time when public discourse in Nigeria is dominated by complaints about government failures and an endless search for scapegoats, it is refreshing to see individuals and institutions taking practical steps to address societal challenges.
A few weeks ago, in this column, I examined Prophet Isa El-Buba’s response to security challenges in Jos. My argument remains that leadership is defined not by titles or public pronouncements, but by the willingness to identify societal problems and mobilise resources to address them. Today, I reflect on another commendable example of this philosophy, particularly in the areas of public safety and community development.
For years, the ten-lane Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja has posed serious danger to pedestrians. Worshippers travelling to the Glory Dome, residents of Lugbe and other commuters have had to risk their lives crossing a busy highway where vehicles travel at considerable speeds. It is a familiar Nigerian experience that a preventable danger becomes normalised, people complain, accidents occur, lives are lost, yet the underlying problem remains unresolved. This time, however, an institution decided to take action.
On 30 October 2026, Pastor Enenche commissioned a fully completed pedestrian bridge across the Airport Road corridor, directly opposite the Glory Dome. Entirely financed by DIGC as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the project addresses a longstanding public safety concern.
Beyond the physical infrastructure, the story behind its delivery is equally instructive. Dunamis first applied for construction approval in 2018. Following a reminder submitted in February 2026, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), under the leadership of Minister Nyesom Wike, granted approval within a month.
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Construction began on 22 June and was completed in just over four months by Dutum Construction Company Ltd, an indigenous construction firm that has now delivered five pedestrian bridges in the FCT.
The process offers important lessons about development and leadership. Meaningful interventions often require patience and perseverance. Private initiatives can deliver remarkable results when supported by effective institutional cooperation. Most importantly, a genuine commitment to solving problems must ultimately produce practical results.
Speaking at the commissioning, Pastor Enenche explained that love was the inspiration behind the project. He also made a profound observation: “Posterity and what we are remembered for is more important than prosperity.” This statement captures an essential truth about achievement, that its value should not be measured solely by personal wealth or material success, but also by the positive difference one makes in the lives of others.
Indeed, there is something particularly significant about investing in infrastructure that protects human lives. A pedestrian bridge may appear to be an ordinary construction project, but its value cannot be measured merely in concrete, steel or financial expenditure. It should be measured in the number of people who can cross a busy highway without exposing themselves to unnecessary danger. It is about mothers, fathers, children, elderly people, worshippers and other commuters whose daily journeys become safer because someone recognised a problem and decided to address it.
This is the kind of intervention that gives practical meaning to the concept of community development. Development is not always about massive government projects or impressive statistics. Sometimes, it begins with identifying a specific difficulty confronting a community and finding the resources and determination to resolve it. A well-constructed pedestrian bridge can be as meaningful to the daily lives of ordinary people as many larger projects.
The pedestrian bridge is not an isolated intervention. Dunamis has a record of community development initiatives, including road projects , the provision of boreholes and support for internally displaced persons and flood victims.
Such interventions reinforce the importance of translating religious teachings into practical expressions of compassion. Religious institutions play a significant role in shaping values and providing moral direction, but their contribution to society should extend beyond spiritual development. Faith becomes more meaningful when it is reflected in actions that improve human welfare.
Nigeria has a large number of religious organisations with considerable financial, human and institutional resources. Their influence extends across communities, cutting through ethnic, geographical and social boundaries. This places them in a unique position to contribute to national development. While their primary missions may be spiritual, there is considerable room for them to complement government efforts in education, healthcare, social welfare, environmental protection and public safety.
This is not an argument for religious organisations to abandon their spiritual responsibilities or assume the constitutional obligations of government. Rather, it is a recognition that responsible citizenship requires everyone with the capacity to contribute to the common good. The pulpit can inspire transformation, but practical interventions can give that transformation visible expression.
The project also demonstrates the value of constructive partnerships between government and non-state actors.
Although the total cost of constructing the pedestrian bridge was not publicly disclosed at the commissioning, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike announced that the Federal Capital Territory Administration would reimburse Dunamis International Gospel Centre for 50 per cent of the project cost, following an assessment of the actual expenditure.
I commend FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for facilitating the approval, pledging a 50 per cent refund of the project cost, and supporting the provision of additional protective lighting and canopies.
This is a commendable example of how government and responsible private institutions can work together to address public needs. While the provision of public infrastructure remains primarily the responsibility of government, private-sector and community-led interventions can complement public investment without relieving public authorities of their constitutional obligations.
Indeed, government should encourage responsible private initiatives through transparent approval processes, appropriate technical supervision and effective collaboration. When institutions willing to invest in public welfare encounter unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, the ultimate losers are the citizens who would have benefited from such interventions. The experience of Dunamis also illustrates why institutional cooperation matters, good ideas need supportive public institutions to become meaningful projects.
Imagine the transformation Nigeria could experience if every major religious organisation, business conglomerate and financially capable institution committed itself to addressing at least one pressing challenge within its immediate environment. Consider the possibilities of rehabilitating dilapidated public primary schools, equipping poorly resourced healthcare centres, providing clean water to underserved communities, improving road safety infrastructure and supporting vulnerable households.
Each intervention might appear modest in isolation, but their collective impact could be transformative. A church could adopt a public school. A business could equip a primary healthcare centre. A religious organisation could provide boreholes to a water-deprived community. Another institution could establish a scholarship scheme for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Such initiatives would not only improve living conditions but also strengthen the relationship between institutions and the communities within which they operate. They would demonstrate that corporate social responsibility and religious commitment are not merely concepts to be celebrated in speeches and annual reports, but responsibilities that should produce measurable benefits for society.
However, the success of such interventions should also be measured by their sustainability. Infrastructure is valuable only when it continues to serve its intended purpose. The commissioning of the pedestrian bridge should therefore not mark the end of the responsibility. Its long-term usefulness will depend on proper maintenance, adequate lighting, effective security, accessibility and the provision of appropriate safety features. The relevant authorities and stakeholders must ensure that the facility remains safe and functional for the people it was designed to serve.
Pastor Enenche and Prophet El-Buba offer important examples of a leadership philosophy that moves beyond criticism to practical engagement. Their interventions demonstrate that leadership is not the exclusive preserve of political office-holders. It begins with recognising a problem, accepting responsibility and mobilising the resources necessary to bring about change. In a society where public criticism often outweighs practical engagement, such examples deserve recognition and emulation.
I therefore congratulate the leadership of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Dutum Construction Company Ltd and the FCTA on the successful delivery of this project. More importantly, I hope the initiative will inspire other religious organisations, corporate institutions and individuals with the capacity to invest in projects that directly improve the quality of life in their communities.
Pastor Paul and Dr Becky Enenche have demonstrated an important principle that love is more than a recurring theme in sermons or a declaration of faith. It is a responsibility that must find expression in practical service to humanity. By financing and delivering an infrastructure project that will protect lives and ease the daily challenges of commuters, they have given tangible meaning to the message they preach.
Nigeria needs more institutions and leaders who understand that the true measure of influence is not simply the number of people who listen to them, but the number of lives they positively touch. We need fewer declarations of concern and more demonstrable acts of compassion; fewer excuses about what cannot be done and more determination to address what can be done.
They did not just preach love; they built it. In doing so, they have reminded us that one of the most enduring legacies anyone can leave is a society made safer, better and more humane through their actions.
