By Soni Daniel, Abuja
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Bishop Stephen Adegbite, on Monday met with key officials of the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry in to strengthen ties ahead of the visit of Nigerian Christian pilgrims to that country.
The next batch of Christian pilgrims will arrive Israel on September 14,2025 via the Sam Mbakwe International Airport in Owerri, Imo State.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission led the delegation comprising members of the House of Representatives and ground handlers to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a bilateral meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters in Jerusalem on September 8, 2025.
At the meeting, Bishop Adegbite expressed gratitude for the Ministry’s cooperation in ensuring a safe and secure environment for Nigerian pilgrims.
A statement made available to Vanguard on Tuesday by the Deputy Director and Head of Media and Public Relations Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Mr. Celestine Toruka, said Adegbite assured that the commission would maintain zero abscondment of Nigerian pilgrims in Israel and uphold transparency in its dealings.
The NCPC boss highlighted the unprecedented participation of no fewer than 100 House of Representatives members from Nigeria in the Executive Pilgrimage, and expressed optimism that this initiative would become a recurring event.
The Director of the West and Central Africa Division at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tania Berg-Rafaeli, commended Bishop Adegbite for his visionary leadership and quality guidance.
She praised Nigerian pilgrims for their good conduct and promised to collaborate with the Nigerian Embassy in Israel and NCPC to foster robust bilateral relations.
Berg-Rafaeti also hinted at a possible Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the two nations.
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