In a recent Sunday sermon, Pastor Paul Adefarasin of House on the Rock Church caused widespread reaction by stating that Nigeria was not created by divine design, but was instead shaped by colonial interests to benefit Britain.
“Nigeria, I do not believe it was created by God… two empires got together and decided that this land will go to the sons of Ishmael,” he said, quoting from a book he referenced. He challenged the idea of Nigeria being founded on God’s will and called on the church to correct historical errors, describing the church as “the light of the world and the salt of the earth.”
He also criticised the country’s constitution, arguing it lacks legitimacy. “When a constitution proposed to be of ‘we the people’ is not, when it is some soldiers who wrote it, you have to question why we obey that constitution,” the pastor said, quoting Psalm 11:3 to illustrate how a weak foundation threatens national stability.
To emphasise his point, Adefarasin also used bad road construction as a metaphor for weak systems. He compared imperfect roads to officials allowing poor work for repeated contracts, saying, “Somebody suggested… it’s that kind of road because they want the same contract next year.”
The pastor went further by rejecting revered nationalist leaders like Awolowo, Balewa, Bello, and Azikiwe as Nigeria’s true founding fathers. Instead, he attributed the country’s creation to British figures in Whitehall and Lord Lugard—and claimed the name “Nigeria” came from Lugard’s girlfriend. “This nation was created for the business of the British purse,” he said.
His remarks add to recent controversies involving Adefarasin. He was previously investigated for allegedly waving a gun-like object on video while someone filmed his unregistered Range Rover. Lagos police later confirmed the object was a stun gun, and Adefarasin admitted he surrendered to authorities. He called the incident a “spiritual attack” aimed at grabbing clicks.
