The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) honoured Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Olusegun Obasanjo; former President Goodluck Jonathan; and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary.

The association recognised these prominent Nigerians at its golden jubilee award ceremony and thanksgiving service on Saturday, October 17, 2026, for their contributions to Christianity and national development.

Tinubu received the Christian Icon Award, while Gowon, Obasanjo, Jonathan, and Osinbajo received the Pillar of Faith Award.

Other recipients included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Benjamin Kalu; Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori; Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo; and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

Speaking at the ceremony, Tinubu described the honour as a responsibility to deepen her service to God and humanity and called for greater unity among Christian denominations.

She thanked CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh for the recognition, noting that the association’s 50th anniversary marked a significant milestone in the history of Christianity in Nigeria.

According to her, the anniversary theme, Walking Together in Faith, captures the importance of unity and cooperation among believers.

Citing John 17:21-22 and Ephesians 4:4-6, the First Lady urged the various Christian blocs within CAN to sustain their common purpose and work together for the progress of the church and the nation.

“I want you to know that this award is a call to greater work in service to God and humanity,” she said.

She wished CAN more years of fruitful service and encouraged the association to remain committed to preparing Christians for the second coming of Jesus Christ.

In his address, Okoh traced CAN’s establishment to August 1976, when church leaders came together to create a common platform for Christians to address issues affecting the church and the country.

He described the association’s five-decade journey as evidence of successive Christian leaders’ commitment to unity, despite differences in doctrine and church traditions.

However, he acknowledged that the organisation had experienced periods of suspicion, prejudice, and marginalisation among some of its constituent groups.

Okoh said successive administrations had worked to overcome such divisions and to promote equal rights and privileges for the different Christian traditions represented in the association.

He identified the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), the Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria/Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN/PFN), the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), TEKAN/ECWA and other constituent groups as part of CAN’s broad membership.

The CAN president warned against conduct that could reverse progress towards Christian unity, particularly divisive and inflammatory exchanges on social media.

He emphasised that the association belonged to all Christians, urging members to take ownership of its activities rather than leave its growth solely to elected and appointed leaders.

On CAN’s role in national affairs, Okoh said the association had, over the past 50 years, spoken on religious freedom, justice, good governance, corruption, insecurity, humanitarian intervention and national development.

He challenged the church to strengthen its advocacy in the coming decades by ensuring that its positions were courageous, constructive and supported by credible evidence.

He said CAN must continue to defend human dignity, constitutionalism, democratic institutions, religious freedom and the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians.

Among those requiring greater attention, he listed internally displaced persons, out-of-school children, unemployed youths, farmers denied access to their farmlands by insecurity, women facing violence and victims of human trafficking.

“The church must speak!” he declared, calling on Christians to translate their faith into practical compassion, public advocacy and service to humanity.

However, he cautioned that the church must base its interventions on truth, credible evidence and responsible analysis rather than on rumours or partisan interests.

On relations between government and religious institutions, Okoh advocated what he called “critical collaboration”, arguing that the church should support policies that advance the common good while challenging injustice and demanding accountability from public officials.

“The appropriate model is critical collaboration, meaning collaborate where the common good requires it, challenge where justice requires it, commend where government does well and warn where government fails, while maintaning the church’s independence,” he said.

He further urged CAN to strengthen its capacity for research, advocacy, humanitarian services and engagement with national development issues.

According to him, the church’s agenda for the next 50 years should include environmental protection, climate resilience, ethical technological development and the preservation of human dignity.

Okoh maintained that Nigeria has the human resources and resilient communities needed to overcome its challenges, but stressed that progress depends on responsible leadership, accountability, and practical action.

He called on political leaders to protect citizens, respect the Constitution, account for public resources, and strengthen national institutions.

He also urged Christians to complement prayers for Nigeria and its leaders with active participation in nation-building.

“The message to the church must be equally clear: pray for Nigeria, pray for those in government, speak for Nigeria, serve Nigeria, build Nigeria and heal Nigeria,” he said.

The CAN president expressed confidence in Nigeria’s future, saying the golden jubilee should serve as a springboard for renewed commitment to unity, integrity, and national development.

Meanwhile, Makinde used the anniversary to urge Christians to take a more active role in politics, warning that withdrawing from the political process would limit their ability to influence governance and national transformation.

Speaking to journalists at the event, the Oyo State governor challenged the perception that politics is inherently dirty, urging believers to help shape policies and leadership decisions.

He said Christians must not remain on the sidelines while expecting the country to change.

Makinde drew lessons from the biblical accounts of Samuel and David, arguing that political leaders’ shortcomings should not discourage believers from seeking positions where they can contribute to society.

He recalled that Samuel emerged despite the misconduct of Eli’s sons, while David served in King Saul’s palace despite being anointed as Israel’s future king.

“I will use this opportunity to encourage our Christian brothers and sisters all across the country to brace up and participate in the agenda to transform Nigeria, to reset our country,” he said.

The governor identified poverty as Nigeria’s most pressing challenge, insisting that economic hardship, not religious differences, should be the priority in national discourse.

“Our problem is not religious. Our problem in this country is poverty, grinding poverty,” he said.

He urged leaders and citizens to focus on practical measures to reduce poverty and improve living conditions, stressing that meaningful national transformation would require sustained efforts to address the economic difficulties confronting Nigerians.(The Nation)