The Nigerian Baptist Convention will hold its 113th Annual Session from April 18 to 23, 2026 at the Baptist International Convention Centre, Kubwa, Abuja, with a strong charge to the Federal Government to urgently tackle insecurity, fix power, and deepen economic reforms.
NBC President Rev Dr Israel Akanji, FAR, FNACM, JP, announced the session in a press release on Friday, saying the six-day gathering will focus on revival, prayer for Nigeria, and strategic planning for the denomination. The FCT Baptist Conference is hosting the event.
This year’s theme is “Entering into Newness through the Fruit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” drawn from Acts 1:8. Akanji said the vision is for newness that will “affect our lives and our nation positively.”
■ 176 years of Baptist work in Nigeria
Akanji traced the denomination’s roots to 1850 when American missionary Rev Thomas Jefferson Bowen began Baptist work in Nigeria. What is now the Nigerian Baptist Convention was formally constituted on March 11, 1914 in Ibadan, initially as the Yoruba Baptist Association, before adopting its current name in 1919.
The Convention, he noted, shares the same birth year as the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria’s Northern and Southern Protectorates.
He highlighted the NBC’s contributions to education and healthcare, listing schools such as Baptist Academy, Lagos, founded in 1855, and Baptist College, Iwo, founded in 1897.
The Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, established in 1898, became Nigeria’s first degree-awarding institution in 1948.
“Baptist education has been of great benefit to our country,” Akanji said, noting that Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, produced leaders including Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief MKO Abiola, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and Prof Ishaq Oloyede.
On health, he cited Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Baptist Hospital Shaki, and Baptist Hospital Eku, adding that NBC runs clinics and medical outreaches nationwide open to non-members.
■ Commendation and concerns for Nigeria
Akanji commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for economic reforms “intended to revive our nation” but urged monitoring of all three tiers of government to ensure implementation.
He praised ongoing road projects, including the Lagos-Calabar highway, but asked government to accelerate repairs of existing dilapidated roads to ease movement of farm produce.
On insecurity, the NBC president said killings, kidnapping, terrorism and banditry have become “totally unbearable.” He cited mass burials in Plateau, Benue, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and Borno states, and urged the President to “confront and overcome the problem decisively.”
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The Convention reiterated its call for state police, saying the current system “appears insufficient to curb the menace.” It also condoled with families and communities hit by terrorist and bandit attacks and asked government to help rebuild destroyed communities.
■ Power, rail, air travel and education
Akanji urged a national conference of stakeholders to find a permanent solution to the power crisis, describing as “unimaginable” a situation where patients bring generators into teaching hospitals.
He said Nigeria has not given sufficient attention to rail, arguing that an effective railway would reduce road pressure and improve safety. He added that air travel costs in Nigeria “seem to be the highest in the world,” pushing Nigerians to fly through neighbouring countries.
On education, he called on all tiers of government to “declare a state of emergency” to overhaul the sector, cut out-of-school numbers, and revise curricula to produce employable and self-employed graduates.
■ Japa, food production, health sector
The NBC thanked Tinubu for efforts to reduce youth unemployment driving the `japa` wave, but warned that the loss of skilled Nigerians is stunting national development. “Continuous actions of government must be seen to be drastically reducing these trends,” Akanji said.
He linked high food costs to insecurity in the North Central and urged state governments to invest in agriculture and secure farmers during planting and harvesting. He also called for subsidies on mental health drugs and stronger action by NDLEA against narcotics.
■ 2027 elections and religious freedom
Ahead of 2027, Akanji urged politicians to shun violence and malpractices, saying “our political ambition is not worth the blood of anyone.” He asked INEC to maintain neutrality and conduct free, fair and credible polls.
He further implored the three arms of government to promote religious freedom, noting that Nigeria’s crises are tied to a lack of dignity for human life and respect for religious liberty.
The 113th session runs April 18-23 at BICC, Kubwa-Zuba Expressway. Akanji said it will be a time of worship, prayer for Nigeria, stewardship reports, and planning. “May God accept our prayers under corporate anointing and make our gathering a blessing to us and our entire nation,” he said.
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