In a stirring message to Nigerian youth, the Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Most Revd. Dr. Henry Ndukuba, has called for a nationwide spiritual awakening led by the next generation. He urged young people to rise above insecurity, economic turmoil, and deepening national divides to become moral and spiritual agents of change.
Speaking before a crowd of over 20,000 young people at the 2025 Joshua Generation International Youth Conference (JGIYC) in Abuja, the Primate declared the youth to be “Ambassadors for Christ”—divinely positioned to carry God’s light into every corner of Nigerian society.
“We live in a world of confusion and moral decay,” Ndukuba said. “But God is raising His own—young men and women who will reflect His character and carry His message of reconciliation to a broken nation.”
He lamented Nigeria’s worsening tribal, religious, and regional tensions, saying the country had never been so fractured. “Much blood has been shed. Bitterness runs deep. But this generation is called to rise and shine—to be the Church, not in the future, but now,” he said.
The Primate described the event not merely as a conference but a generational movement aimed at producing Christ-like leaders in governance, business, media, and the Church.
Adding weight to the spiritual charge was Rosemond Offei-Awuku, Chief Development Economist at the African Development Bank (AfDB), who expressed the Bank’s strong support for youth-centered initiatives tied to Africa’s growth.
She cited the AfDB’s Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy, which seeks to create 25 million jobs and equip 50 million young people across the continent, noting initiatives like the i-DICE Programme and Ekiti Knowledge Zone in Nigeria.
“Our Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033) places youth at the center of Africa’s transformation,” Offei-Awuku said. “And we stand with this mission to raise Christ-like agents of change.”
Drawing inspiration from 2 Corinthians 5:20, the conference theme, “Ambassadors for Christ,” resonated deeply as thousands of attendees—both physical and virtual from nations like the U.S., Australia, Singapore, and across Africa—were urged to embody integrity, boldness, and faith in an age darkened by despair.
From the pulpit to the panel sessions, the message was unified and urgent: Christ is calling a generation to rise—not just to believe, but to build. Not just to follow, but to lead. In a nation longing for healing, these young ambassadors may be God’s answer.
