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The Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria has empowered members across 199 districts with training and financial support to establish or revive small businesses as part of efforts to improve their livelihoods.
The initiative was unveiled at the church’s 71st National Convention, 2026, under the theme, “Breaking New Grounds.”
Chairman of the convention, Rev. Charles Fashola, described the programme as a major innovation designed to make the annual gathering more impactful by addressing the economic needs of church members.
Speaking after the convention, Fashola said the church had moved beyond its traditional activities to introduce initiatives that would directly benefit members, particularly those whose businesses were struggling and those seeking to establish new ventures.
He explained that beneficiaries received training and financial assistance to help them sustain existing businesses or start new ones. The programme covered districts across the country, including the North, South, East and West.
According to him, the church would monitor the beneficiaries through district coordinators to ensure that the funds were used productively and their businesses grew.
“We felt that it was time for the church to start giving back to her members, and that was what we did across 199 districts in Nigeria,” he said.
Fashola expressed optimism that the beneficiaries would record significant progress before the next convention, adding that the church intended to improve on the initiative in subsequent years.
He attributed the innovations introduced at this year’s gathering to the convention theme, noting that the church was determined to make future conventions more impactful and comfortable for participants.
Speaking on the theme, the General Overseer of the church, Rev. Sam Aboyeji, urged Nigerians to combine hard work, faith and integrity in their quest to break new grounds, stressing that sustainable progress required a strong relationship with God.
Aboyeji, who spoke to journalists after the convention, said individuals and nations must be dissatisfied with their present circumstances and work diligently towards improvement.
He observed that many Nigerians were unhappy with the country’s situation and desired better living conditions, but warned against seeking success through dishonest means.
He called on Nigerians to reject internet fraud, corruption and other shortcuts to wealth, urging them to embrace legitimate work, innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Let us have inventors, more new businesses and new industries. Let us have more Dangotes and people who are breaking new grounds in our nation through diligence and hard work, not through shortcuts,” he said.
The cleric, however, noted that human effort alone might not be sufficient to overcome difficult circumstances, stressing the need for divine intervention.
Citing the example of a woman who struggled to make ends meet by selling basic commodities, he said there were situations in which people exhausted their options without achieving the desired results.
He referenced the biblical passage in Psalm 121, which speaks of looking towards the hills for help, and urged Nigerians to seek God’s intervention through prayer and repentance.
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Aboyeji also cited 2 Chronicles 7:14, which calls on God’s people to humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, promising divine forgiveness and healing for the land.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria would experience healing and opportunities for greater development, praying that more new grounds would be broken across the country.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, Aboyeji urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, saying faith should inspire confidence in the country’s future.
He called on citizens to believe in God, themselves, the nation and its leaders, while maintaining faith that the country could overcome its challenges.
Also speaking, the wife of the General Overseer, Dr Olabisi Aboyeji, urged mothers to take responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of their children through persistent prayers.
She encouraged mothers to pray for positive changes in their children’s lives and to remain committed until they saw the desired results.
Aboyeji also urged children to seek God, expressing hope that sustained prayers and spiritual guidance would help families overcome challenges.
One of the guest speakers, Apostle Michael Orokpo, president of Encounter Jesus Ministries International, spoke on “How to Gain Spiritual Authority.”
He said spiritual authority was not about personal promotion or controlling others but about aligning with God’s government, understanding spiritual principles and submitting completely to His will.
Orokpo explained that believers received a foundational level of spiritual authority through the new birth but needed to recognise what they had received and submit themselves to God to activate it.
He maintained that spiritual authority was rooted in a believer’s relationship with God rather than personal ambition.
A participant, Ogunleye Olubunmi, from one of the church’s branches in Ikorodu, said attending the convention in person was a rewarding experience.
Olubunmi, who had previously followed the church’s activities online, said the gathering encouraged her to seek opportunities for personal growth and embrace the challenge of breaking new grounds. She added that other online participants had also received blessings from the convention.
Activities at the five-day gathering included a musical concert featuring choristers from different locations, the grand finale of the General Overseer’s Cup, pastoral ordinations and awards for members recognised for their faithful service.
Winners of the sporting competition received cash prizes, with the overall winner awarded ₦1 million, while the first runner-up received ₦500,000 and the third-place finisher ₦75,000.
The convention ended with renewed calls for spiritual growth, economic empowerment, innovation and practical efforts towards personal and national development.
