Chairman of the Northern Christian Association (NCA), Rev. Joseph John Hayab, has urged Christians to invest in the ongoing Dangote Petroleum Refinery Initial Public Offering (IPO), saying religious considerations should not prevent them from owning shares in businesses.
Hayab, who spoke at a media parley in Kaduna on Saturday, said the offer should be viewed strictly as a business opportunity and not through the religious identity of its promoter.
“Business has no religion. What Dangote is selling is not Islam; Dangote is selling shares. Shares bring money,” he said.
He said responsible Christian leaders should encourage their members to develop a culture of investment, stressing that owning shares could help families build wealth and provide for the future.
“If I have my way, just as they are advertising, every Christian should have 10 shares,” Hayab said.
He urged Christians to consider investing for the benefit of their children and future generations rather than focusing only on immediate returns.
“Buy it for your son. Buy it for your grandchildren. Buy it for the future of their education,” he said.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery public offer comprises 4.1 billion ordinary shares at N525 per share, with a minimum subscription of 10 shares valued at N5,250. The offer opened on September 14 and is scheduled to close on October 13, 2026.
Hayab also called for greater investment awareness among Nigerians, saying overdependence on salaries was limiting the ability of individuals and institutions to build sustainable wealth.
“The reason why our offering is poor in many of our churches is because we are not investing,” he said, adding that greater investment by church members could also strengthen the financial capacity of churches.
He said Nigerians should seek to have stakes in businesses operating in the country, arguing that broader domestic ownership would contribute to economic growth.
“The economy of Nigeria will grow faster if all Nigerians have a stake in the investment that is in Nigeria,” he said.
Hayab disclosed that he had directed members of the NCA to create awareness about the Dangote offer in churches, saying the campaign would continue until the offer closes.
“We started that last Sunday and we’ll do that this Sunday and we’ll continue to do it until the 13th when it is over,” he said.
He also appealed for an extension of the offer period, saying public awareness about the IPO was only beginning to gain wider attention.
Hayab stressed that his position was not limited to the Dangote offer, urging Christians to consider other legitimate investment opportunities.
He further appealed to northern Christians to support businesses owned by entrepreneurs from the region, noting that Dangote is from the North.
He said the Dangote business should also be separated from politics, arguing that governments may change while businesses can continue to operate.
“Today we have Tinubu as President, tomorrow we’ll have another person as President, but we will be having Dangote business all through,” he said.
