Christian leaders across the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory have adopted a new identity, unveiling the Forum of Northern Christians, also known as the Northern Christian Association, in a move they say is aimed at clarifying their mandate and reinforcing their regional voice.
The decision was reached during a two-day stakeholders’ meeting held in Kaduna. The gathering brought together chairmen from the 19 Northern states and the FCT, alongside their secretaries and representatives of youth and women wings.
The event also marked the first anniversary in office of the Northern Chairman, Rev. Joseph Hayab, under whose leadership the rebranding was formalised.
The body had previously operated under the name Northern CAN — a designation leaders said frequently created confusion about its relationship with the national structure of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting on Thursday, Hayab emphasised that the new identity does not signal a breakaway from the national body. Rather, he described it as a return to the group’s historical roots.
According to him, the association was originally founded in 1964 in Kaduna as the Northern Christian Association before it evolved into the Christian Association of Nigeria in 1976.
“We are CAN. We are Christians, and we remain members of CAN. But when we speak on issues affecting Christians in Northern Nigeria, we believe we should have a distinct and clear identity. There is no quarrel with the national body,” Hayab said.
He explained that the deliberate exclusion of the word “Nigeria” from the revived name was intended to avoid further confusion with the national structure and to demonstrate respect for the mother body.
Hayab added that the Forum of Northern Christians and the FCT has now been fully registered and incorporated, noting that the restructuring is designed to strengthen coordination and engagement within the region.
