﻿The Nigerian Church: The Most Profitable Business
In Africa!
I’ve always wondered what the most profitable business in Africa is.
I know your answer might be say, oil: or mining:
or politics. Yes, politics! (Of course, our
politicians are big businessmen with a sprinkle of government power).
However right you may think you are that isn’t the case.
You see, oil requires capital for land and machinery and so does mining not to mention taxes.
However, there is a business that is relatively easier to start and runs on basically free labor
or should I say “volunteers” and isn’t taxed a single dime.
This is non-other than a religious institution specifically:
a church. But how does it all work? How do they make money?
Well to answer that question we have to take it from the horse’s mouth itself.
If you posed a question like, Why does the excessive luxury of a few exist
alongside the poverty of millions in a continent rich in resources?
Pastor Chris
Oyikhalome, the head of Christ Embassy, a Mega Church in Nigeria may respond by saying that
poverty is a disease that affects individuals who lack faith. Poverty is a demonic force that can
only be wrestled into submission via spiritual battle. That alone is the premise for the most
profitable business strategy on the continent. Pastor Chris Oyakihlomey, the head of Christ
Embassy, a Mega Church in Nigeria may respond by saying that poverty is a
disease that affects individuals who lack faith. Poverty is a demonic force
that can only be wrestled into submission via spiritual battle.
That alone is the premise for the most profitable business strategy on the continent.
Now, we’ve established the premise of the business strategy but how do
they go about validating their point? I mean anyone can say anything and people
won’t care. But what if it came from the Bible? or at least implied from the bible?
they would require something that motivates people enough to give everything they have and more just
so they can be wealthy, because of the premise of the business strategy as earlier mentioned. No one
wants to be poor, but if they had faith and gave their tithe, success is at their doorstep.
This sort of dogma is what’s known as the prosperity gospel!
The prosperity gospel provides strength to those who are powerless and adrift
in the midst of a socio-economic crisis. But it's a hollow call in the end because it
obscures the underlying nature of poverty and hence pulls nations away from addressing it.
Instead of opposing politicians' ineffective or self-serving economic policies, prosperity
preachers condemn their congregations for lacking the faith to rid themselves of poverty.
Rather than criticizing multi-national corporations' monopolies over resources,
sermons encourage people to seek individual financial uplift through offerings, despite
the fact that the greatest victories against poverty have been achieved through collective
political action and economic restructuring. The prosperity gospel raises the notion that
people with limitless willpower can rise from poverty: the religious equivalent of telling
the impoverished to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. At most, it's a tranquil diversion
from reality, lulling followers to sleep while we're still dominated by elites that value profits
and power over people. Today, the prosperity gospel is one of Nigeria’s largest exports, with
some megachurches boasting over 25 million members and a footing in practically every continent.
Bishop Oyedaypo's Living Faith Church is one of the most well-known in Nigeria. "If you are not
a tither, you end up a beggar," Bishop Oyedepo has said, referring to the church's stance on tithing.
The main church, Tabernacle of Faith, nearly fills its 50,000-seat capacity every week. We can
reasonably infer that half of the congregation tithes at least 10% of their monthly income
because tithing is a basic belief of the church. Because many megachurches have a large and wealthy
internet following, and at least 900 million naira in at minimum in tithes each year, assuming each
paid the federal minimum wage of 30,000 naira that would equate to a weekly collection of 75 million
naira from the auditorium crowd. And in reality, the church would make even more money because it
receives donations from wealthy people and still receives giving from its satellite churches.
Given Nigeria's high poverty levels, the significant riches of prosperity preachers many of
whose members are far less well-off has long been a source of contention. Those who believe that the
prosperity gospel is exploitative are frustrated by its seemingly ever-increasing appeal.
The number of Christians in Nigeria is expected to more than triple by 2050.
Pentecostals will account for nearly half of all Christians. Despite the fact that there
are millions of followers of prosperity theology in Nigeria who do their best to put the doctrine
into practice by displaying confidence in their church by giving financially and materially,
poverty is still on the rise. Studies have revealed that poor people are more inclined
to the prosperity gospel, indicating a direct link between the prosperity gospel
and poverty. According to Nigerian academics, the rapid growth of prosperous instructors is due
to the country's growing poverty and illiteracy. Over 90 million people live in poverty in Nigeria,
which has a population of 200 million people. Around 75 million adults are illiterate. With this
backdrop, it's simple to see how the prosperity gospel has flourished, offering individuals in
difficult situations a way to control their seemingly uncontrollable circumstances.
It promises health and fortune to those who follow its rules. This message of hope can be quite
strong and soothing for those who are poor. Many renowned Nigerian pastors are embracing
the internet facilities in the growth and dissemination of their ministries in the
ever-changing world of Information Technology, where nearly everything
is available at the touch of a button. Because most churches are generating internet
offshoots, the internet is becoming the best platform to conduct church events.
Churches used to have to pay large sums of money to obtain air time on radio or TV
or on Christian cable channels to broadcast their church activities. All of that has changed now.
Churches can now broadcast live internet services to a global audience by investing in good websites
with up-to-date features. Apart from assisting in the growth of these
churches, this new invention has also aided in greatly increasing their financial base,
as worshippers or viewers may pay their offerings, tithes, and other fees online,
making the churches conveniently accessible to everyone wherever in the world.
People can access material via live streaming and on-demand video streaming from wherever they are
and in any format they like. Daystar Christian Centre, led by Pastor Sam Adeyemi; Winner Chapel,
led by Bishop David Oyedaypo; Christ Embassy, led by Pastor Chris Oyakihlomey;
Mountain of Fire Ministries, led by Pastor D.K Olukoya; House on the Rock, led by Pastor Paul
Adefa-rasin, and others have all had a strong online presence in recent months.
Pastor Chris and Bishop Oyedepo are the most successful preachers on the list with a net worth
of 126 million dollars and 200 million dollars respectively. Their multiple websites have become
a community in and of itself, gaining worldwide renown. Aside from live service broadcasting,
which is their primary internet service at the moment, the websites are also utilized
for other evangelism purposes. Prayers and intercession, weekly or daily motivating talks,
therapy, and access to key event details are just a few examples. Offering and tithes have been made
easier through online media, as viewers can pay online without ever having to enter the church.
And cash has never flowed into mega-churches this easily before. Gone are the days when your tithe
money was taken out of your pocket, now they can convince people to even take loans and pay for
one church fund or the other. They’d say God wants you to take it out of your bank account
because he wants to fill it. In many aspects, the prosperity gospel
might be considered to have developed ideas and practices that are deeply in tune with
classic neoliberal ideology by linking the pursuit of riches with individual efforts.
It may be a coincidence, but the spread of the prosperity gospel in Nigeria coincided with the
country's adoption of neoliberal policies in the nineteen eighties. Nonetheless,
the union of faith and personal wealth has significant private and social repercussions.
Who is to blame for your unemployment or poverty if your success and well-being are a product
of your relationship with God? Without a doubt, it is not the government.
With this in mind, one can wonder if the popularity of the prosperity gospel in Nigeria
has made it easier for residents to accept or justify the government's failures.
Because no earthly organization can hold back God's will, the emphasis on personal piety and
faith may lead people to imagine that they may escape the dysfunction of their society.
What would society be like if believers were no longer able to rely on teachings of wealth as a
crutch? People might be more forceful in holding leaders accountable. Sweden and Norway, for
example, are frequently recognized for having some of the best-performing governments in the world.
These countries also have among of the lowest religious identification rates. Sweden,
for example, has a poverty rate of less than 2% and a religious population of less than 20%.
Nigeria, on the other hand, has a poverty rate of about 50% and a religious population
of nearly 97 percent. Other elements, without a doubt, are at play.
However, it's worth investigating whether religious teachings like the prosperity gospel
have, in some manner maybe unwittingly, inhibited citizens' willingness to hold
government officials more accountable. The clear winners, from a cynical perspective,
are the prosperity preachers who lead congregations that earn millions of naira in
untaxed income. The terrible reality is that the prosperity gospel's promise has yet to be
fulfilled for the vast majority of Christians. Another winner could be the government,
which has managed to avoid accountability by using the prosperity gospel as a vehicle.
It's also worth noting that the prosperity gospel brings fulfillment to many Nigerians.
It delivers spiritual gratification as well as a positive message of hopefulness
amid challenging conditions while remaining focused on a relationship with God.
Prosperity gospel also has an aspirational tone to it, which adds to its appeal.
People from all walks of life attend these churches, and for the less fortunate, seeing the
wealthier believers testify and attribute their success to their belief in the prosperity gospel
makes it a doctrine worth following. For individuals who work for megachurches pastors,
drivers, teachers, technicians, musicians, and so on this institution has become a vital source of
income. The appeal of prosperity gospels is unlikely to decrease anytime soon. It may be time
for Nigeria to follow Rwanda's lead and explore regulating these churches, which would presumably
provide more security to the followers, who appear to be the financial losers at the moment.
It is not our intention to discourage anyone from going to church.
However, we feel entitled to let you know that there’s no point financing
your preacher’s next private jet when you take a cab to church every Sunday.
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