For the second time running, back to back, the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) organised a retreat for all its staff across the country at CSS Global Integrated Farms, Gora, Nasarawa state. The date was Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

The Annual General Staff Retreat was to review the 2025 pilgrimage and address lapses and how to solve challenges that must have emerged and plan for the 2026 pilgrimage.

The retreat was the second edition under the administration of Bishop Prof Steven Tunde Victor Adegbite as the Executive Secretary of the commission.

It will be recalled that on resumption in 2024, he described his coming to NCPC as “divine, a new dawn and a Renewed Hope for NCPC”, promising that there would be satisfaction for everyone. 

He noted that the NCPC is an organisation that is to provide excellent services and administration to Nigerian Christians who perform pilgrimage to Holy sites around the world.

He recalled NCPC’s core mandate which remains: licensing operators, airlifting pilgrims, supervising state boards, and ensuring hitch-free pilgrimages.  

He is the first from the South-west zone to occupy the exalted position as well as the first bishop to head the commission.

Adegbite holds the enviable threesome in leadership. He is Villa chaplain, CAN chairman of Lagos state and, of course, the executive secretary of NCPC.

According to him, he has come to build on what his predecessors have done and with assurance to leave his own mark in the commission thereafter.

He said that pilgrimage should be seen as a passion and not a jamboree. 

He submitted that he is out to fight and eradicate corruption, strategic engagement with the stakeholders, relationship building, reorientation of the mindset of people, in the commission, among others.

The theme of the retreat was “Without Peace Nigeria Cannot Move Forward” which served as a platform for staff of the commission to interact, strengthen teamwork, and develop strategies aimed at improving productivity and ensuring more efficient pilgrimage operations

Speaking on the purpose of the retreat, Bishop Adegbite explained that it was organised to prepare staff for the 2026 pilgrimage exercise. 

According to the executive secretary, the commission has successfully airlifted about 40,000 pilgrims to the Holy Land within the last two years of his leadership.

The NCPC boss expressed optimism that pilgrimage to the Holy Land would resume once relative peace returns to Israel and the Middle East. The airlift, he said, may start sooner than later.

He explaned that the exercise would provide an opportunity for Christians to pray for lasting peace and for the peaceful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Adegbite called for prayer for peace and said politicians and religious leaders must play by the rules ahead of 2027 elections

“We want Nigeria to move forward, but without peace, Nigeria cannot move forward.”

He therefore urged Nigerians to pray that “the Lord will restore peace and tranquility in the country.” He reassured that NCPC “will never relent until total peace returns to Nigeria.”

While reminding the staff of their roles and contributions to the success of the pilgrimage, he reiterated the retreat’s goal of spiritual rejuvenation and attitudinal change.

He enjoined them to see their responsibilities away from “business as usual” towards commitment, trust, and representing God in their work.

The retreat came after NCPC suspended all pilgrimages in March 2026 due to the Middle East conflict. So, the July meeting was largely about re-strategising and praying for peace before resuming operations.

He however cautioned politicians to “play by the rules” and avoid character assassination; just as he called on religious leaders to be “extremely circumspect” because “they will give account to God”

Indeed, the retreat can be said to be successful in refocusing staff, praying for the nation, and laying the groundwork for 2026 pilgrimage

The NCPC boss has however been able to rekindle hope and trust in the commission which has engendered stakeholders’ respect and confidence in the agency.

He has been able to institutionalise restructuring in such a way that has strengthened internal processes and restored credibility to pilgrimage administration.

The executive secretary has also been able to ensure operational guidelines with greater emphasis on accountability in selection, screening, and coordination of pilgrims.

Bishop Adegbite has been able to improve relations with state Christian Pilgrims Welfare Boards through consultative meetings and policy harmonisation and also enthrone purposeful and visionary leadership within his 30 months on the saddle.

In the meantime, the NCPC boss has signed a contract extension agreement with the commission’s accredited air carrier and seven ground handling companies ahead of the 2026 Christian pilgrimage to Israel.

He insisted that the commission will ensure that pilgrims’ safety will remain its overriding priority.

The agreement, which was signed at the NCPC corporate headquarters, followed due process and approval by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

The signing exercise has therefore paved the way for the service providers to continue supporting the commission’s pilgrimage operations.

Prof. Adegbite, who signed the agreement on behalf of the NCPC, said the arrangement was aimed at ensuring seamless pilgrimage operations, improved service delivery, and effective coordination among all stakeholders during the 2026 pilgrimage season.

The commission would not compromise the safety and welfare of Nigerian pilgrims, stressing that every life mattered.

He said the NCPC’s guiding principle of “Service and Satisfaction” remain central to its operations, adding that the commission would continue to prioritise the security, welfare, and spiritual experience of pilgrims.

Prof Adegbite said the NCPC had continued to monitor the situation to ensure that any decision to resume pilgrimage was based on credible security assessments and the safety of Nigerian pilgrims.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the federal government, and the accredited air carrier for their role in the successful evacuation of 523 Nigerians who were stranded during the Middle East conflict on February 8.

The NCPC boss praised the stakeholders involved in the evacuation, describing their intervention as a demonstration of effective coordination and commitment to protecting Nigerians caught in crisis situations.

He also commended the accredited service providers for their professionalism and cooperation, urging them to sustain the standard of service delivery and continuously improve their operations.

He said the collaboration among the various stakeholders was critical to ensuring that Nigerian pilgrims receive efficient, safe, and quality services throughout the pilgrimage exercise.

Representing the Chairman of the NCPC Board, Prof. Msgr. Cletus Gotan, the board member representing the North-central zone, Rev. Dr. Simon Dolly, commended the commission’s management and staff for promoting transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness in the administration of Christian pilgrimage.

Dolly described the relationship between the NCPC and its accredited service providers as a reflection of purposeful leadership, mutual respect, and effective collaboration.

He praised the air carrier and the seven ground handling companies for their continued support, particularly in the face of security challenges in the Middle East.

The board representative urged the service providers to maintain unity, trust, and cooperation, stressing that collective responsibility remained essential to the successful conduct of Christian pilgrimage.

He called on all stakeholders to pursue higher standards of service delivery, noting that despite the achievements recorded by the commission, there was still room for improvement.

Dolly urged Nigerians to continue praying for President Tinubu and for lasting peace in Nigeria and the Holy Land, saying peace and stability remained crucial to the safe and successful conduct of future pilgrimage exercises.

He reaffirmed the board’s commitment to supporting policies and initiatives that would strengthen the commission’s mandate and enhance the spiritual experience and welfare of Nigerian pilgrims.

Speaking on behalf of the service providers, their representatives commended the NCPC boss and the management for maintaining a transparent, inclusive, and cordial relationship with them.

They pledged to continue working with the commission to deliver efficient, safe, and quality services to Nigerian pilgrims.

The signing of the contract extension agreement with the accredited air carrier and seven ground handling companies marks a fresh step in preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage season.

However, the commission last week lifted the ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel following an assessment of the security situation in the Holy Land.

Bishop Adegbite announced the decision at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel.

He said his declaration followed an on-the-spot assessment of the security atmosphere during his three-day visit to Jerusalem.

”I promised everyone that I will be here to see what is happening in the Holy Land. I have been here in the last three days. The Holy Land is peaceful. Jerusalem is at peace and will continue to be at peace.

”Consequently, the ban on Christian pilgrimage from Nigeria to Israel is hereby lifted from today,” he said.

The NCPC boss said that under the new arrangement, Nigerian pilgrims would only be permitted to travel through the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.

He said that pilgrimage routes through Jordan remained suspended due to ongoing security concerns in that territory. ” Jordan is not safe at the moment, and the commission cannot take that risk,” he added.

 Adegbite expressed confidence in the safety of Nigerian pilgrims, assuring that every prayer offered in the Holy Land would be answered.

He reassured prospective pilgrims that the commission had maintained a record of safe returns from past exercises and that the 2026 exercise would be no exception.

The NCPC helmsman also offered prayers for national unity, praying for peace for President Tinubu, the First Lady, and government officials across all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

The NCPC is the federal agency mandated to supervise and coordinate the movement of Nigerian Christian pilgrims to holy sites around the world, primarily in Israel, Jordan, and Rome.

In February, escalations stemming from the US-Israel-Iran conflict led to heightened security risks across the Middle East

This forced international flight disruptions had prompted several governments, including Nigeria, to temporarily halt religious pilgrimages to the region to protect citizens.

The lifting of the ban marks the formal resumption of state-backed and private Christian pilgrimage operations from Nigeria to Tel Aviv for the remainder of the 2026 pilgrimage calendar.

The NCPC boss needs to be commended for rekindling hope and trust in the commission which has engendered stakeholders’ respect and confidence in the organisation.

Abdul writes from Abuja via [email protected]