“Nigeria wasn’t created by God,” says House on the Rock pastor
Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has sparked widespread conversation after publicly stating that Nigeria’s formation was not divinely inspired, but rather a product of British colonial economic interests.
During a sermon on Sunday, Adefarasin challenged the commonly held belief that Nigeria’s creation was guided by God. Instead, he claimed that powerful empires and colonial deals—not divine intervention—laid the foundation for the country.
Colonial roots, not nationalist heroes
Referencing The Martyrdom of Man, Adefarasin said Nigeria’s formation involved historical power plays, including deals between Queen Elizabeth I and the Ottoman Empire.
He also dismissed nationalist icons like Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe as the country’s founders, instead pointing fingers at British officials and Lord Lugard, along with Lugard’s partner, who allegedly named Nigeria.
“This nation was created for the business of the British purse,” Adefarasin said, adding that it was designed to fund British interests without draining the empire’s resources.
A broken foundation and a flawed constitution
Quoting Psalm 11:3, the pastor argued that Nigeria is like a building with a weak foundation, referencing the military-written 1999 Constitution as a core issue.
“If the foundation is destroyed, what can the righteous do?” he asked, stating that the current constitution lacks legitimacy because it wasn’t authored by the people.
He added that genuine national progress can only begin with structural and constitutional reform, rooted in equity and justice.
Corruption and poor infrastructure as symbols of dysfunction
Using the example of subpar road construction, Adefarasin criticized ongoing corruption in governance.
“Why do we keep resurfacing roads the wrong way?” he asked. “Someone wants the same contract next year. That’s not justice. That’s selfish interest.”
He contrasted regular roads with the high-quality one leading to the Lagos airport, pointing to unequal priorities in national infrastructure planning.
A call for the church to step up
While emphasizing that the sermon was not a political statement, Adefarasin stressed the church’s role in correcting what he believes has gone wrong in Nigeria’s formation.
“The church is the light of the world and the salt of the earth,” he said. “We must get right what man got wrong.”
His remarks have triggered mixed reactions, with some applauding his honesty and others debating the historical accuracy and implications of his claims.
