By Ayomide Otitoju
Christian leaders from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have formally rebranded their regional body as the Forum of Northern Christians, also referred to as the Northern Christian Association, to clarify its mandate while maintaining allegiance to the national Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The announcement was made Thursday in Kaduna during a stakeholders’ meeting of state and FCT chairmen, their secretaries, and representatives from youth and women wings. The event also marked the first anniversary in office of the northern chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab.
Hayab explained that the renaming is a return to history, not a breakaway. He traced the association’s origins to 1964 in Kaduna, when it operated as the Northern Christian Association before evolving into the national CAN in 1976. “We are CAN. We are Christians, and we remain members of CAN,” he said, stressing that the new name provides a clearer regional identity when addressing issues affecting Christians in Northern Nigeria.
The “Nigeria” label was deliberately excluded to avoid confusion with the national body. The Forum has been fully registered and incorporated as the Forum of Northern Christians and the FCT.
Hayab outlined the body’s key priorities, including protecting religious freedom, improving access to education, addressing shortages of Christian Religious Knowledge teachers, and ensuring fair admission opportunities for Christian children in parts of the North.
Samuel Salifu, the first General Secretary of the original Northern CAN, noted that the 1964 association later became the national umbrella body in 1976 under the military administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, with formal registration by the late Interior Minister Shehu Shagari. He said the new name clarifies that the regional body is not separate from CAN.
Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau highlighted the association’s historical role as a response to the survival needs of Christians in the North, urging current leaders to uphold justice and equity. Yusuf Turaki, speaking virtually, emphasized ongoing insecurity in the region, including kidnappings, displacement, and destruction of livelihoods, and called for lawful advocacy to protect vulnerable communities.
Stakeholders reaffirmed loyalty to the national CAN leadership while maintaining a clearly defined regional structure. They stressed that the Forum’s adoption is intended to provide clarity of purpose rather than create division, promoting justice, equality, and peaceful coexistence under Nigeria’s Constitution.
