By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
At the Pilgrims Wing of Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Friday, the boarding call came with more than travel instructions.
It came with a national assignment.
As the second batch of Nigerian Christian pilgrims prepared to depart for Jordan and Israel, the Chairman of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rt. Rev. Prof. Monsignor Cletus Gotan, delivered a blunt reminder: every pilgrim is a walking embassy of Nigeria.
“Wherever you go, people will read Nigeria in you,” Gotan told the travellers. “If you misbehave, they will say Nigerians misbehave. If you behave well, you represent your country positively.”
Faith journey, state responsibility
The departure on January 9, 2026 marked the airlift of the second batch of pilgrims under the 2025 Main Pilgrimage Exercise, comprising mainly pilgrims from Borno and Bauchi States, alongside consular officials.
Gotan stressed that the pilgrimage was made possible through the backing of government and key stakeholders, and that pilgrims owe the country a return on that investment through discipline, orderliness and dignity abroad.
He assured the pilgrims that logistics had been carefully arranged for a smooth journey, with transit through Lagos before onward travel to Jordan and Israel.
Prayers were offered for journey mercies and a spiritually fulfilling pilgrimage.
The NCPC Chairman struck a firm tone on compliance, warning against absconding or any conduct capable of damaging Nigeria’s image overseas.
Stringent monitoring systems, he said, are already in place, and sponsors will face severe penalties if any pilgrim fails to return to Nigeria at the end of the exercise.
This year’s warning reflects growing international scrutiny around pilgrimage travel and migration abuse, an issue Nigerian authorities are determined to shut down.
Gotan urged pilgrims to cooperate fully with NCPC officials, bus captains and medical personnel, all of whom will be clearly identified throughout the journey.
The pilgrimage, he reminded them, is not a holiday.
“We are not going there for trouble or pleasure alone; we are going there for prayer,” he said. “Let us go as Christians and return as better people.”
He cautioned against wasteful habits, particularly in hotels and buffet settings, warning that such behaviour reinforces negative stereotypes about Nigerians abroad.
Respect, modesty and consideration, he said, must guide interactions at all times.
Drawing from personal experience, the NCPC Chairman emphasised vigilance, humility and obedience to instructions, especially in unfamiliar terrain.
He encouraged younger pilgrims to assist the elderly and urged all participants to ask questions whenever unsure.
Medical teams, he assured, are fully prepared to respond to health needs, and prayers were offered for divine protection and a hitch-free pilgrimage.
“As God has brought us here today, He will surely take us there safely and bring us back in peace,” Gotan declared.
The departure of the second batch builds on what the Commission describes as a landmark pilgrimage season.
The 2025 exercise officially commenced on December 29, 2025, with the launch of a Boeing 777-300—capable of carrying over 500 pilgrims, the largest aircraft ever deployed in Nigeria for Christian pilgrimage airlifts.
The first batch of pilgrims returned safely to Nigeria on January 8, 2026.
As the latest group heads to the Holy Land, the message from Abuja is clear: the journey is spiritual, but the responsibility is national.
