Oluremi Tinubu urges churches to promote dignity

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu(middle) flanked on the immediate left by the Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and Chairman Board of Trustees, Lausanne Nigeria Christian Mission, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, on the immediate right by National Chairman of the Lausanne Nigeria Christian Mission, Rev. Yunusa Sabo Nmadu with other members of the Board of Trustees of the Mission at the 2026 Lausanne Nigeria Christian Mission with the theme, Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together, held in Abuja on Wednesday October 28, 2026.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday called on the Church in Nigeria to take active responsibility for building cohesive communities, saying the gospel that Christians proclaim must be visibly reflected in how they live and engage with others.

She made the remarks while addressing the Lausanne Nigeria Congress 2026, a three-day national gathering of church leaders, missionaries and Christian organisations holding in Abuja, with over 5,000 delegates drawn from across the country.

Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday titled ‘The gospel we proclaim must shape the life we live and influence the lives of others – First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.’

The First Lady said, “The Church in Nigeria has a vital responsibility to nurture hope and compassion, strengthen families, mentor our young people, encourage peaceful coexistence and help build communities where every person is treated with dignity.”

She noted that the congress theme, ‘Let the Church Declare and Display Christ Together,’ aligned with the demands of the moment and the Great Commission given to the Church by Jesus Christ.

“To declare Christ is to share the message of His love, His sacrifice and the free gift of salvation He offers. The Gospel we proclaim must shape the life we live and influence the lives of others. To display Christ is to allow His character to be seen in our lives,” she said, citing Matthew 5:16.

She urged delegates to convert the deliberations of the congress into concrete commitments that would take root in congregations and communities across Nigeria.

“Let us leave here with renewed conviction to declare Christ faithfully, display His love consistently and fulfil our calling together,” she said.

In his remarks, the National Chairman of Lausanne Nigeria Christian Missions, Yunusa Nmadu, said the church bore not only a duty to pray for the nation but also to lead by example, embodying the character of Christ in love and unity.

He called on the body of Christ to abandon denominational, tribal and ethnic divisions.

“The Nigerian Lausanne Congress in Abuja serves as a call for the unified Nigerian church to both proclaim the gospel and embody Christian values through social action,” Nmadu said.

He also noted the need to address what he described as a decline in the church’s influence despite significant numerical growth over the past two decades.

The Archbishop, Metropolitan and Primate of All Nigeria of the Anglican Communion and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Lausanne Nigeria Christian Missions, Henry Ndukuba, called for unity of purpose within the body of Christ, observing that there would be no denominations in heaven.

Prayers were offered at the congress for the nation, President Bola Tinubu, leaders at all levels, and for a peaceful conduct of the 2027 general elections.

The Lausanne Movement was founded by renowned American evangelist Dr Billy Graham and held its first congress in Lausanne, Switzerland, in July 1974.

It currently sustains international congresses on evangelism worldwide.