Worship centres pulling tourist dollars

While exchanging pleasantries with a Zimbabwean pilgrim at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv, Israel, a Nigerian pilgrim was surprised when the Zimbabwean said his next pilgrimage would be to Nigeria to see ‘the Lagos prophet’.

“Which prophet?” he asked out of curiosity, and was surprised to hear names and places he ordinarily would not dare to visit.

Ironically, these places which most Nigerians overlook are where many foreigners are thronging on pilgrimage. Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos, is one of such places.

Synagogue Church of All Nations

Until recently, the roads to Ikotun were ridden with potholes and the attendant gridlock, yet they have remained passageways for fleets of luxury cars and tour buses whose occupants, mainly foreigners, endure all manner of stress on their way to seek spiritual solutions, healing and ‘miracles’.

No matter the different views held over time about the Synagogue Church of All Nations, the mega-church that sits atop the descending Ikotun hill has hosted more foreigners in recent times than any organisation or government in Nigeria.

From King Godwill Zwelithini of the Zulus, who came calling all the way from South Africa in 2007 with his daughter Princess Sibusile Zulu, who was suffering from partial epilepsy, to King Moloto Solomon of the Limpopo Kingdom, who visited to seek good tidings for his kingdom, Frederick Chiluba, former president of Zambia, who visited to seek solution to an undisclosed ailment, President Omar Bongo of Gabon, Pasal Lissouba, one-time president of Congo Brazzaville, Justice Ralph Beisner from New York, and thousands of faceless others who have need for spiritual help, the Synagogue Church of All Nations woos an average of 5,000 pilgrims every month and at least 60,000 visitors every year. It was there that John Atta Mills, former president of Ghana, held his thanksgiving service with his vice, John Mahama.

The huge influx of people from all walks of life and from far-flung regions of the world to the Synagogue to see Prophet Temitope Balogun Joshua, the leader of the church with acclaimed healing powers, has over time impacted the residents and economy of the locality. Craft shops, restaurants, printing outfits, car hire and tour companies have all sprung up within the church neighbourhood.

In the past five years, Ikotun has had more residential buildings turned into hotels than any other part of Lagos, resulting in over 3,500 hotel rooms, aside from the over 50 rooms inside the church premises that accommodate pilgrims from across the world.

Winners Chapel

As well, over 5,000 Christian faithful from across the world visit Living Faith Church’s Canaanland located in the once sleepy town of Ota, Ogun State, for Shiloh, the church’s annual convention.

Beyond pilgrimage or spiritual needs, the mere fact that Living Faith Church (a.k.a. Winners Chapel) is in The Guinness World Records, the official site with ultimate record-breaking facts and achievements across the world, as the church with the largest number of congregants at one service makes it worth visiting.

With the church’s world record, its Covenant University, and cottage outfits, over 10 tour operators, five car-hire companies, and about 15 hotels have been built in the last 10 years to accommodate the growing number of visitors.

Over 2,000 jobs have been created for the Ota community – hotel attendants, security, graphic designers and printers, suppliers, house agents, among others, who benefit directly and indirectly from the many visits to the church by pilgrims and tourists alike.

Christ Embassy

At least three times in a year, Believers Love World (a.k.a. Christ Embassy) attracts over 20,000 delegates to its headquarters in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos. The delegates who spend between four to seven days in the country come from different parts of the world including – Europe, America, India, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago, Samoa Island, and almost all the countries on the African continent – to attend The Pastors’ Refreshers Course (PRC) in February, International Cell Leaders Conference in June, and International Pastors and Partners Conference (IPPC) in November.

At these times, major hotels around the Oregun-Alausa and Allen Avenue-Opebi axes are fully booked by delegates, most of who book ahead via the church’s online conference portal, send friends to book for them, or book a year ahead at the ongoing event. Hotels such Sheraton Ikeja, Best Western Ikeja, Ibis, and Protea GRA Ikeja record good occupancy during each of the events, especially International Pastors and Partners Conference in November.

Ademola Oyemade, a staff of Best Western Ikeja, who is also a member of the church, notes that Christ Embassy brings good business to the hotel because of the profile of the foreign delegates and high standard maintained in the hotel.

Other churches

While the monthly and the annual Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and, of course, Deeper Life Bible Church retreats and leadership trainings woo many Christian faithful from across the world to Lagos, The Experience, a gospel music festival by House on the Rock in Lagos, has brought more high profile international gospel artistes to Nigeria than the rested Star Mega Jam or any other conventional music festival.

Paul Adefarasin, senior pastor, House on the Rock, said at the 2016 Experience that the music festival has boosted the confidence of visitors that Nigeria has many positive things to offer against the bad images of terrorism, kidnapping and scam that are being bandied in foreign media.

With at least over 500 foreigners every year, he said that The Experience, besides its spiritual import, is a promotable Nigerian tourist product.

Traditional worship centres

Besides the churches, traditional worship, shrines and festivals are also attracting visitors in thousands to the country.

Olusegun Runsewe, director general, National Council for Arts and Culture, while in office as director general of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), made efforts at tracking the number of foreign visitors to the annual Osun Oshogbo festival in Osun State by stationing some NTDC staff at the international airports.

For five years and going, an average of 300 Nigerian and African Diaspora, especially from Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Cuba and United States of America visited the Osun Grove every August to worship the water goddess and drink from the river believed to have healing, cleansing, fertility and prosperity power for adherents.

As well, the Ojude Oba festival that has become popular among both the Ijubu Muslims and Christians is a festival rooted in Islamic worship. The festival, which takes place on the third day of Eid-El Kabir, a Muslim festival, now attracts Ijebu sons and daughters, their friends, well-wishers, and especially Muslims from across neighbouring West African countries to witness a cultural heritage rooted in religion at the ancient city of Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Ayo Olumoko, CEO, Infogem Limited, consultants and marketers of Osun Oshogbo Festival, notes that over 1,000 African Diaspora visit the Osun Grove at different times of the year for traditional religious worships and connection to their roots. 

“The surprising thing about most of these religious places that have become draw for the faithful is that there are hardly promotions of these palaces to foreigners beyond the word of mouth and testimonies of people who have visited before,” Olumoko says.

“The memorable experiential worships and testimonies are the draws for would-be visitors and even adherents wishing to visit again.”

Economic impact

The economic and image-making benefits of the swelling pilgrimage to Nigerian religious centres by foreigners can never be over-emphasized. It is estimated at over N10 billion annually, and could be more with improvement on promotion and the collation of visitors’ data and expenditure pattern.

Ikechi Uko, CEO, Akwaaba Travel Market, says while his event which has held in Lagos every November for over 10 years now has consistently drawn foreigners to the country, Prophet T. B. Joshua has singlehandedly hosted thousands of foreigners in his Synagogue Church of All Nations in Ikotun, adding that such efforts should be commended.

Lucky George, an experienced and award-wining travel writer, notes that Prophet T. B. Joshua should be seen as a national asset and encouraged because of the silent tourism promotion and good image he has been making for the country.

George says that churches should involve professional tour operators in building other exciting activities to further spice visitors’ experience while on pilgrimage in Nigeria, enable data collation and improvement on infrastructure and other areas impeding more pilgrims from visiting the country’s spiritual sanctuaries.

But since the accident at Synagogue Church of All Nations that claimed the lives of 117 pilgrims, mostly from South Africa, and the consequent disagreement with the Lagos State government, the hotels in Ikotun area have lost over N3.9 billion revenue due to reduced number of visitors.

Jerry Omoridion, one of the hoteliers in Ikotun, says the loss underpins the economic import of religious pilgrimage.

Having travelled to top global destinations within a short time for meetings and official engagements, Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, is countering recent rumour that Prophet T. B. Joshua wants to relocate his synagogue to Israel over what the Prophet described as hostile operating environment.

“That will be very unfortunate in the sense that if he does move out, it will affect our tourism in Nigeria. Pastor Joshua is an important person, he must bear with us. This is his country. If he moves out and goes to South Africa (for example), the revenue will go to South Africa,” the minister said at the recently concluded Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Association of Tour Operators held in Ikeja, Lagos.

“It is better that Pastor Joshua sits down with the relevant authority and resolves whatever problem he has. If I have access to him, this is exactly what I am going to tell him,” he said.

Bright prospects

Despite challenges the country is faced with at present, pilgrims will continue to visit in their numbers as long as their faith is strengthened on every visit. Of course, Israel still makes huge foreign exchange from religious tourism despite frequent tension with its Arab neighbours.

OBINNA EMELIKE & MABEL DIMMA