I don’t believe God created Nigeria, says popular Nigerian pastor

Senior Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rock Church has ignited widespread discussion after asserting that Nigeria’s creation was driven by British colonial interests, not divine will.

During a sermon on Sunday, Adefarasin challenged the commonly held belief that Nigeria was established under God’s guidance. Instead, he argued that the country’s formation was largely shaped by colonial power struggles and financial motives of the British, emphasizing that economic and political agendas played a central role in uniting diverse regions under one entity.

He said, “Nigeria, I do not believe it was created by God. I don’t believe it. I believe that Elizabeth the First got into a deal with the Ottoman Empire and they had a deal concerning the Sudan and those who care to buy the book, buy the book. It’s written by a fellow called, the name of the book is The Martyrdom of Man.

“As far as Africa was concerned, two empires got together and decided that this land will go to the sons of Ishmael. It is self-evident, but let’s not go there. This is not a political forum. This is a church and the church has responsibilities to get right what man got wrong. She’s the light of the world and the salt of the earth. That’s important.”

The cleric argued that Nigeria’s constitution is illegitimate, contending it was authored by the military rather than through the collective will of the people. Drawing from Psalm 11:3, he compared the country’s state to a building erected on unstable foundations.

“I have no problem with people of any faith being in charge, but they must adhere to the constitution of we the people. And when a constitution proposed to be of we the people and it is not, it’s some soldiers who wrote it, you have to question why we obey that constitution,” he said.

“Nigeria cannot be a solid nation that is properly grounded going towards her destiny. We started to go, but the Bible says, Psalm 11 verse 3, if the foundation is corrupted, if it is destroyed, what can the righteous do? To build a sustainable building, you have to build a solid foundation. You do a soil test, you do your engineering statics and you determine what will carry this building and make it last for a long time.”

He further criticised the country’s leadership and corruption, pointing to poor road construction as a symbol of Nigeria’s broken systems.

“There’s a difference between any road and the road that they build that takes you to the Lagos airport. That’s a proper road. Why they build roads and resurface them wrongly, I don’t know.

“Somebody suggested to me that it’s that kind of road because they want the same contract next year. That means that somebody sitting down somewhere making decisions has no sense of equity and justice. Do you understand? I hope you get me,” they said.

Adefarasin also dismissed the widely celebrated nationalist figures—Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe—as not being the real architects of Nigeria. Instead, he attributed the country’s formation to British colonial officials and Lord Lugard, claiming that Lugard’s partner coined the name “Nigeria.”

“There was a colonial conquest coming from the Maghreb, the Sahel, and it was interrupted by another colonial conquest of the British. And the British are not, let me say it another way, Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Azikiwe, they are not the founding fathers of Nigeria in my opinion.

“The founding fathers of Nigeria are some men from Whitehall and a fellow called Tob Goldman, his girlfriend, she named the country, and also Lugard.

“This nation was created for the business of the British purse so they wouldn’t have to bear the bill for the not as prosperous and wealthy part of the country,” Adefarasin said.