Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed confidence that the nation will overcome its current challenges and emerge stronger.
She gave the assurance during the 2025 Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, themed “Jesus Our Strength,” held at the National Christian Centre and jointly organised by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and Voice of Nigeria (VON).
Represented by the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, Mrs Tinubu encouraged Nigerians to approach the coming year with faith and courage.
A Prophetic Theme
Describing the theme “Jesus Our Strength” as timely and prophetic, the First Lady said; “it underscored the belief that Jesus remained the anchor of Nigeria. She referenced Psalm 65:11–13 to declare that God would crown the year with goodness and cause Nigeria’s “fields to flourish again.”
“These words are not mere echoes, they are prophetic declarations aligned with the heartbeat of Christmas,” she said.
The First Lady commended the musical and cultural presentations by choirs, children, instrumentalists, and cultural groups, noting that they represented Nigeria’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
Nigeria Would Rise Again
Mrs Tinubu emphasised that, like Israel, Nigeria had journeyed through different seasons, including challenges and moments of transition, yet continued to stand strong.
“A new Nigeria is like a new Jerusalem that will not pass away. Nigeria’s values will rise again. Our unity will strengthen again,” she declared.
President Tinubu’s wife urged Nigerians to make room in their hearts for Jesus, stressing that the birth of Christ symbolised the triumph of light over darkness.
Message of Hope
The First Lady prayed that the Christmas season would usher in renewed strength in 2026.
She said; “God is in the storm with us, and He has given us the power of Christ to overcome every individual and collective challenge
“The victory of our faith is the victory of our nation.”
Mrs Tinubu encouraged citizens to enter the new year with confidence in God’s plan for Nigeria.
Delivering his Christmas message, the General Overseer of All Christians Fellowship Mission (ACFM), Reverend William Okoye said the season represented renewed hope.
Quoting Scripture, he reminded the gathering that even when a tree was cut down, “at the scent of water, it would bud again.”
“Nigeria will rise again. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us,” Okoye affirmed.
He urged Nigerians to trust God in difficult moments, noting that Jesus “walked upon the waters and brought us through.”
The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, also called for unity and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
Speaking to journalists at the event, he said; “Nigerians should embrace the tradition of unity, recalling that the nation’s founding fathers built a country where diversity was respected.”
Ndace described the Christmas season as a period of national healing and urged citizens to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria to take its rightful place globally.
The VON DG noted that the joint carol event had always promoted unity and positive national identity.
He reaffirmed VON’s commitment to shaping constructive narratives about Nigeria and Africa.
Ndace encouraged mutual respect among Christians and Muslims, emphasising that Jesus, known as Isa in Islam, was honoured in both faiths.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. We must not allow others to define us. Nigerians are talented, resilient, and capable,” he said.
VON DG reminded public media institutions of their responsibility to promote truth and discourage misinformation.
PIAK