By Kayode Olopade
Following the success recorded in the 2025 Christian pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan, the Lagos State Government has embarked on an aggressive state-wide sensitisation campaign to expand Christian participation in the journey to the holy lands.
According to the government, the focus in 2026 session would be shifting from passive awareness campaigns to aggressive style to assist in reaching churches, communities, and government institutions across Lagos.
The Secretary, Lagos State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Gbolabo Okudero, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing newsmen in Ikeja, the state capital, on the successes recorded by the agency a year after their appointment by the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He noted that during the past year, the focus had been on stabilising operations, strengthening partnerships, and delivering a seamless pilgrimage experience to Lagos residents.
“Our goal is simple, to ensure that every Lagos Christian who desires to visit the Holy Land has the opportunity and the guidance to do so”.
A key feature of the Board’s strategy has been an extensive stakeholder engagement campaign designed to close what it identified as a major awareness gap.
“Over the past year, officials visited churches across multiple denominations, including Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and indigenous Christian groups.
“Engagements also extended to umbrella organisations such as the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Student Christian Movement.
“In a significant breakthrough, the agency addressed all 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Area chairmen at the Conference 57 meeting in May 2025, positioning local authorities as key grassroots promoters of the pilgrimage programme”.
Okudero emphasised that transparency and accountability remain central to its operations, saying all intending pilgrims were mandated to pass through documented screening processes.
“Our system is structured, open, and equitable. Every pilgrim knows exactly where they stand,” he said.
“Building on the 2025 success, Lagos is now targeting wider participation for the 2026 pilgrimage. Plans include deeper media penetration, expanded church outreach, and stronger collaboration with local government tourism officers”.
The Board Secretary, meanwhile, announced the commencement of administrative and medical screening for prospective pilgrims, urging interested Christians to begin registration early.
“We are taking the message to every corner of Lagos. The opportunity is real, and we want more people to take part.
“We believe that with a multi-layered sensitisation strategy and improved operational framework, officials are optimistic that the 2026 pilgrimage will surpass previous participation levels while maintaining the standards that defined the 2025 exercise”.
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