By Kande Ibrahim
Nazareth, Galilee | January 15, 2026
The ancient city of Nazareth stood still on Wednesday as Nigeria’s Christian pilgrims closed a defining chapter of their Holy Land journey not with sightseeing memories, but with a moral summons.
At the Jerusalem Pilgrimage (JP) Ceremony and Certificate Award for the second batch of Nigerian pilgrims to Jordan and Israel, the message was unmistakable: this pilgrimage was not tourism, and the certificates were not souvenirs.
“You are not just JP holders; you are Jesus people,” declared Bishop Prof. Stephen Adegbite, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), setting the tone for a ceremony that blended solemn reflection with national expectation.
Held in one of Christianity’s most sacred cities, the event brought together pilgrims from Borno, Bauchi and other states, NCPC officials, representatives of the Nigerian Embassy in Israel, and key pilgrimage stakeholders.
It marked the formal conclusion of a journey that traversed Bethlehem, Nazareth, Gethsemane, Calvary and the Resurrection sites—places that define Christian faith and test personal conviction.
Adegbite, speaking with the cadence of a pastor and the urgency of a public servant, gave thanks for what he described as a hitch-free pilgrimage, noting that no negative incident was recorded throughout the exercise.
He attributed the success to divine guidance, describing God as “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”
But gratitude quickly gave way to responsibility.
“You have walked where Jesus walked; now go back and live what you have learned for the good of Nigeria and the glory of God,” he told the pilgrims, urging them to translate spiritual encounters into ethical living, civic responsibility and national service.
In a moment of quiet reflection, the NCPC boss also announced the passing of a pilgrim cleric shortly after arrival in the Holy Land, offering condolences while assuring families and pilgrims of continued prayers and support.
He conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the First Lady, the Vice President and the NCPC Board, stressing that the Federal Government remains proud of the conduct and comportment of Nigerian pilgrims abroad.
The ceremony also spotlighted the private sector’s role in pilgrimage operations. Mrs. Lydia Tabar, Chairman of Skyrise Travel Agency, described Christian pilgrimage as a journey that must go beyond belief to embrace service, love and responsibility.
She traced Skyrise’s involvement in Israel to a family legacy rooted in Nazareth since 1961, underscoring decades of engagement with faith-based travel.
On the diplomatic front, Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Israel, Mr. Ode Ikwe, commended NCPC for what he called exemplary organisation and pastoral care.
He praised the pilgrims for projecting Nigeria positively, noting that their discipline and unity stood out in a region accustomed to global scrutiny.
The high point came with the presentation of JP certificates—symbols not just of completed travel, but of entrusted values.
Amid prayers, thanksgiving and restrained celebration, the pilgrims received their documents as a commissioning rather than a conclusion.
They are scheduled to return to Nigeria on January 19, 2026.
What they bring back, Adegbite insisted, must be more than photographs and certificates: it must be a renewed commitment to moral renewal, national unity and godly living.
In Nazareth, the pilgrimage ended. The assignment, however, has just begun.
