All Africa CEOs and Board Chairs of Bible Societies on Tuesday converged in Lagos for its 2026 consultative meeting.
The meeting has its theme “Bridging Critical Gaps to Advance Bible Mission in Africa.
In his welcome address, the General Secretary/CEO of BSN, Pastor Samuel Sanusi, described the meeting as a strategic response to Africa’s growing need for accessible and engaging Scriptures.
Sanusi said Africa stood at a crossroads, noting that while the continent possessed vast potential, it continued to face gaps in Scripture access, funding, leadership capacity, technology and Bible engagement.
“This meeting is not merely consultative; it is strategic and transformational, calling us to collective wisdom and decisive action so that the Word of God may be glorified across Africa,” he said.
He welcomed delegates to Nigeria, describing the country as “Africa in miniature” due to its cultural, linguistic and religious diversity, with over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages.
Sanusi said Nigeria remained a nation of faith and resilience, adding that the hunger for God’s Word made Bible mission both urgent and relevant.
Reflecting on BSN’s 60 years of stewardship, he said the organisation had facilitated Bible translations into 27 Nigerian languages and distributed millions of Scriptures across churches, schools, prisons, hospitals and communities.
According to him, the consultation was designed to promote shared learning, strategic alignment, a collective continental voice and future readiness, especially in the face of digital transformation and youth engagement.
Delivering his remarks, the Chairman of the Africa Affinity Group, Rev. Valente Tesco, urged African Bible leaders to move “from delay to delivery” in advancing the mission.
Quoting Isaiah 58:12, Tesco described the gathering as a call to become “repairers of broken walls” by translating vision into action and ownership.
“Africa does not lack vision; what we must address is the gap between strategy and execution,” he said.
Tesco identified capacity, translation speed, distribution, governance and financial sustainability as critical gaps requiring bold leadership and accountability.
In his exhortation, President and Board Chairman of BSN, Bishop Timothy Banwo, called on leaders to seek divine counsel, integrity and humility in fulfilling their mandate.
Banwo said effective leadership required total commitment to God, stressing that prayer and obedience were essential for sustainable impact.
Also speaking, the Secretary General of the United Bible Societies (UBS), Rev. Dirk Gevers, congratulated BSN on its 60th anniversary and reaffirmed UBS’ commitment to making the Bible accessible worldwide.
Gevers said UBS, a global fellowship of 156 Bible Societies, currently supported translation projects in nearly 400 languages and distributed about 150 million Scripture items annually.
He noted that despite technological advances, about 1.5 billion people still lacked access to a full Bible in their heart language.
Newsmen reports that the meeting brought together CEOs and Board Chairs of Bible Societies across Africa to strengthen collaboration and accelerate impact.
