2026 Easter Message by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN): The Dawn is Coming, Don’t Let Go Now, Hold on to Hope!

 

2026 Easter Message by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN):

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, and all People of Good Will,

1. The Lenten season just concluded, which partly coincided with the Ramadan period, offered us a solemn time of self-examination, repentance, and conversion. It was a journey of anticipation, preparing us to celebrate the central mystery of our faith: the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Today, that spiritual journey of self-discipline and discovery brings us to the consummation of the mysteries, the empty tomb. On behalf of all the Catholic Bishops in Nigeria, I greet you with the transformative joy of the Risen Lord: Happy Easter! Christ is Risen, Alleluia!

2. Even as we celebrate today, many Nigerians still bear crosses of grief and heartbreak caused by unabating insurgency, incessant kidnappings, and armed banditry. These are unarguably the consequences of many years of bad leadership; leadership marked by selfishness, greed, nepotism, tribalism, sectionalism, and a total lack of commitment to the common good.

3. For the disciples of Jesus, the harrowing journey from the darkness of Good Friday through the long Holy Saturday of emptiness, silence, and disbelief was shattered by the rejuvenating news of the rolling back of the stone. In this same vein, it is our fervent prayer that just as the stone of darkness and limitation was rolled back on that first Easter Sunday, bringing hope to the hopeless and the forlorn, so too may the heavy stone of anguish and pain caused by the excruciating burden of bad leadership be rolled back from the hearts and lives of Nigerians. 

4. We are sustained in hope and relentless in prayer that these travails of our dear people and the gloom that currently envelopes the country unite with the passion and agony of Jesus to bring renewal and enduring succour to our nation. This is because the power of the Resurrection assures us that “weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

5. This confidence is founded on Jesus who while on the cross in agony, and cried out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34), was not forsaken by the Father. This is the same anguished cry of all who suffer in Nigeria today, for God will not abandon His children who truly call upon Him in distress (Psalm 107:6). 

6. Like the disciples, we follow a Master who neither deceives nor fails. Even in this darkest hour of our country’s history, God is not a bystander. Nevertheless, his patience must not be taken for granted, because though merciful, He is also just (Psalm 116:5); he will surely repay every man according to their deeds (Ps. 28:4; Matt. 16:27; Romans 2:6; Rev. 22:12). 

7. The Resurrection of Jesus changed human history forever. St. Paul reminds us that if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is without substance (cf. 1 Cor. 15:14). Because He is raised, we can face tomorrow. The Risen Christ continues to stand with the wretched of the earth, the poor and oppressed, with the afflicted and with the victims of ethnic conflicts, the unemployed, the imprisoned, and the internally displaced (IDPs) because He is a loving and compassionate saviour.

8. With the 2027 General Elections some months away and the INEC timetable already released, everyone must recognise that each hour of our life is loaded with consequences. We cannot afford to let the “gold” of our opportunities be trodden underfoot. Hence:

a. To the electorate, we say, it is not unexpected that many of you are disillusioned, feeling that your votes do not count. This has led to dangerous voter apathy. However, you cannot choose to abandon your moral duty to promote the common good. Faithful citizenship means becoming informed, active, and responsible participants. We therefore appeal to all eligible voters to ensure that you get your voters cards ready and verified. All well-meaning Nigerians must use the eyes of faith to ensure that only people with competence and integrity are elected.

b. To INEC as the electoral body, we admonish you to do all within your power to assure Nigerians that their votes will not only count but be seen to count. No willing voter should be disenfranchised due to distance or surmountable administrative challenges or any form of glitches. The Church stands ready to collaborate with you to ensure that justice prevails.

9. To majority of Nigerians who feel the fatal sting of bad government, banditry, instigated and politically-motivated communal attacks, loss of dear ones, hardship and joblessness: your scars make the promise of the Resurrection even more meaningful. Because the tomb is empty, no grave, not even the challenges facing Nigeria, can hold back the power of a new beginning. The dawn is coming. Don’t let go now, hold on to hope! The Risen Christ is proof that even the deepest darkness must eventually give way to light. The dawn is coming. Just as He arose, so too shall Nigeria be restored in victory into a season of peace and plenty.

I wish you all a happy and joyful Easter celebration! May the Risen Christ grant comfort to all who mourn at this time, and lasting victory to Nigeria, our country. Amen.

Signed: 
Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso NDAGOSO
Archbishop of Kaduna
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).