NCPC Lifts Ban on Christian Pilgrimage to Israel

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The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has lifted the ban on Christian pilgrims traveling to Israel. The commission made this decision following an on-the-spot assessment of the security situation in the Holy Land.

Bishop Stephen Adegbite, the Executive Secretary of the NCPC, announced the decision in a statement on Saturday in Abuja. Adegbite was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, where he said he witnessed the peaceful atmosphere firsthand.

“The Holy Land is peaceful,” Adegbite said. “Jerusalem is at peace and will continue to be at peace.” He assured 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 Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, and government officials across all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Bishop Stephen Adegbite was appointed Executive Secretary of the NCPC by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. Adegbite is a cleric with over 20 years of experience in the church.

The NCPC is the federal agency established 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 and 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. However, pilgrimage routes through Jordan remained suspended due to ongoing security concerns in that territory.

According to Adegbite, pilgrims will only be permitted to travel through the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. He expressed confidence in the safety of Nigerian pilgrims, assuring them that every prayer offered in the Holy Land would be answered.

And as the pilgrimage calendar reopens for pilgrims from Nigeria, the commission is expected to receive a significant influx of applications. The 2026 pilgrimage season is expected to be one of the most popular in recent years.

“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,” Bishop Stephen Adegbite said.

This decision is expected to ease tension among Nigerian pilgrims who had been eagerly waiting for the ban to be lifted. The lifting of the ban has been met with excitement and relief among pilgrims.

However, experts warn that security concerns are still a major issue in the region and pilgrims must remain vigilant. The situation calls for caution and prudence as pilgrims prepare to travel to Israel.

The lifting of the ban on Christian pilgrimage to Israel has been met with excitement and relief among Nigerian pilgrims. The 2026 pilgrimage season is expected to be one of the most popular in recent years, and pilgrims are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land.