In a country with a population almost evenly divided between Christianity and Islam, megachurches and their charismatic leaders have taken on increasingly significant and visible roles in Nigerian society. In recent years, they’ve mobilized their congregations and turned their attention to the ballot box. What could this mean for the future of Nigerian politics?
In Nigeria, freedom of thought, conscience, and religion is enshrined in the national constitution, and it’s not uncommon for many to blend mainstream religions with local and indigenous practices. With over 100 million Christians in the country, a number of ambitious and charismatic leaders have used this blending of beliefs to create not just spiritual but physical communities that have taken shape as semi-autonomous and loosely regulated satellite municipalities on the outskirts of Lagos.
Organizations like the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), among others, have amassed significant followings and more importantly, significant financial resources. The megachurch phenomenon is not unique to Nigeria, but the government’s failure to address widespread poverty, unemployment, and provide basic services has created the right environment for these institutions to be seen quite literally as saviors of the people.
Offering an alternative
RCCG has grown immensely in recent years and now also operates its own veritable fiefdom, known as Redemption Camp. With 5,000 homes, its own network of roads, sanitation collection, supermarkets, banks, and a post office, it is a fully functioning community. It even has a 25-megawatt power plant built entirely by the megachurch's construction company.
“If you wait for the government, it won't get done,” proclaims Redemption Camp’s Pastor Olubiyi. RCCG must be doing something right: The municipal government of Lagos sends power plant workers to Redemption Camp to learn from its employees’ maintenance of their own system, a situation that makes many Nigerian journalists say that “the line between church and city is rapidly vanishing” in the country.
Photo: Entrance to the Redemption Camp of The Redeemed Christian Church of God at Lagos Ibadan Express Road (2016) (Kaizen Photography/ Wiki Commons)
With just 25 or so megachurches active in Nigeria, Lagos now ranks second in the world for megachurch weekly attendance at just shy of 350,000. While this represents a mere 2.3% of the urban population, these communities continue to grow and thrive as they show themselves more capable and better equipped than the government to take care of their residents. Persistent domestic threats like Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa only add to the allure of the predictable and safer confines of communities like Redemption Camp.
Operating on the fringes of Lagos offers other benefits: Pastors like Olubiyi and Enoch Adeboye, the ‘general overseer’ of Redemption Camp, act essentially as unelected mayors. They have enormous influence over the facilities that get built, including schools and healthcare centers, which in turn gives them a greater influence over the day to day lives of congregants. They’ve created a counter-power to the municipal and national government, and they’re not unaware of the growing role and influence they now hold.
From pews to polls?
Having built a parallel system of governance, the next logical step, then, is to exert influence over the formal system of government. There is strength in numbers, and megachurches like RCCG appear to have reached a critical mass and have made no secret of their political ambitions.
In March 2022, the organization established the Office of Directorate of Politics and Governance, its first official move into the political arena. The office is intended to help rally support for members with political ambitions. With 32,000 branches in Nigeria, and millions of members, RCCG has the potential to give interested members a viable pathway to office. Already, Nigeria’s most recent Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo was an active pastor of the RCCG before emerging as a candidate in 2015.
However, if the recent national elections are any indication, the megachurches may be taking a less overt approach than initially anticipated. In June 2022, the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries forcefully denied backing “any aspirant” or political party in the 2023 election, and RCCG leaders subsequently arranged a Global Prayer Walk for “peace, free, and fair elections,” but in the same breath prayed that the election would see the “right leaders” elected.
With Nigeria’s latest national election now settled, and Bola Tinubu stepping into the office of the President, no megachurch – at least for now – seems to have a direct hold on the executive branch. However, Tinubu won with only 36% of the vote, meaning his mandate to govern is slim. It would only take a small portion of the electorate turning against him in the next cycle (or sooner) to oust him. And with unemployment projected to hit 37% in 2023, megachurches may gain more traction if they demonstrate they are better stewards of their communities than government.
Photo: Nigerian workers protest (Akintunde Akinleye/ EPA, NTB)
Not the only game in town
RCCG may be popular, but it’s certainly not the only influential megachurch in Nigeria. While Pastor Adeboye has an estimated net worth of USD 110 million, and RCCG has dedicated tables at its religious service with attendants and card readers to take collections, there are other organizations in Lagos whose value surpasses even that.
Case in point: Bishop David Oyedepo of Living Faith Worldwide (also known as the Winners’ Chapel) operates Canaanland, a 10,500-acre (4,250 hectare) campus with a university, residences, restaurants, and a 50,000 seat church. Oyedepo’s net worth is an estimated USD 150 million.
Also nearby: Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, who is the founder and leader of Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministries (MFM), with 300 branches in Nigeria, as well as its own village. Prayer City is located along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway and close to Redemption Camp. It features an auditorium with seating for up to 100,000 members during special occasions. Olukoya is considered one of the richest men in Africa with an estimated net worth of USD 600 million.
Final note
While megachurches constitute just a single digit percent of Nigeria’s population, their ability to showcase strong leadership and mobilize people and resources in a tight election are key assets. As the Nigerian government has allowed the proliferation of these churches, it should not come as a shock if the next election cycle sees a stronger mixing of (mega)church and state.
But having a more vocal Christian presence in government will mean that the other half of the country – some 100 million Muslims – are at risk of being left out or, worse, alienated and targeted. While it is possible that these organizations could work to address systemic political, economic, and social issues to better life for all Nigerians, the enormous wealth and power amassed by those at the top of these mega churches demonstrates the risks for corruption.
As RCCG makes moves towards entering official levels of government, surely other megachurches will follow suit. The coming years could be pivotal for Nigerian national politics as those in power see how their laissez-faire policies toward religion, social services, and critical infrastructure have mobilized well-organized opposition.
Will the Nigerian government continue to let these organizations operate unimpeded, and could they be the change makers the country so desperately needs? Only time will tell whether they intend to make changes for the nation’s glory... or their own.
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