Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has reignited the debate about Nigeria’s nationhood with his controversial assertion that Nigeria was not divinely created but rather a colonial project orchestrated to serve Britain’s economic interests.
Speaking during a Sunday sermon, Adefarasin challenged the notion that Nigeria’s existence was rooted in God’s will, arguing instead that historical and imperial deals shaped the country.
“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 further argued that Nigeria’s constitution is flawed, insisting it was imposed by soldiers rather than created by the people.
Quoting Psalm 11:3, he compared the nation’s instability to a house built on weak 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.
“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 also criticized governance and corruption, pointing to substandard road projects as a symbol of systemic rot.
“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.”
Adefarasin dismissed Nigeria’s celebrated nationalist leaders like Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe, as not being the true founders of the nation.
Instead, he attributed the creation of Nigeria to British officials and colonial figures.
“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.”
