Christmas: Anglican Primate Declares ‘New Dawn’ For Nigeria

Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, The Most Reverend Henry Ndukuba, has proclaimed a divinely ordained ‘new dawn’ and a ‘great turnaround’ for the nation, beginning this Christmas and extending to the 2027 general elections.

Ndukuba, while speaking to journalists during the Christmas service at the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Abuja, delivered a message intertwining national prophecy, theological depth, and a pastoral charge for the season.

The archbishop declared an end to Nigeria’s protracted hardships, stating, “For Nigeria, this is a new dawn. It is a new, fresh beginning. And we are trusting God that from this celebration of Christmas until the celebration of the new year, even up until the 2027 elections, we are trusting the Lord that there will be a great turnaround.

“The things that we face, the oppressions, the suppressions, the afflictions, have come to an end. God will usher us into a new season, and this is the reason why we rejoice.”

The Anglican primate, while giving thanks for survival amidst national challenges, said, “We give God the glory that we are alive today to see and witness the 2025 Christmas. We thank God that despite everything that surrounded us, God has brought us here.”

He anchored the celebration firmly in the Christian gospel, recalling the angelic announcement, “I bring you tidings of great joy. That today in the city of David is born to you a Saviour who is Christ the Lord. This is the celebration of the nativity of Jesus Christ or the birth of Christ, the greatest birthday.”

Ndukuba explained that the birth is God’s decisive intervention for humanity’s liberation, that God has intervened to break the yoke and bondage of sin and oppression and give His children freedom and liberty through faith in the Son of God.

On the observance of Christmas, the Primate cautioned against secular distractions.

“Christmas is not about just eating and drinking because it is one of those festivals that we have seen in fiction and in fact fun, taking the minds of many.

“And fiction in the sense of seeing people who may think that Christmas is about the Christmas tree or about talking, about wearing new dresses. No, it is not about it. Even today, some may drink and fall into a stupor.

“We will not ask people not to be happy. We will not ask people not to celebrate. The reason for celebration is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born today to give us hope and to deliver us.

“But apart from that, we must emphasise that in everything, moderation must be the key. But we will not do it in such a way that Jesus Christ is taken out of this celebration. It is the celebration of Christ. Let him be the heart and the centre,” he said.

The archbishop, while framing Christmas as a time for reflection and recommitment, encouraged Christians to consider how far they have walked with God and what it means for them to celebrate God’s faithfulness to them.

“If God has loved us to the extent of giving us his best and his only, it is demanded of us to love God back; to also love one another, to help others, and to support and give others just as God has given us. And I think that is one of the essence of Christmas,” he said.