Jehovah’s Witness in Nigeria are marking their centenary in the country today, following the commencement of the faith in the country in 1921.

A missionary named Claud Brown who arrived in the country in that year followed by William Brown in 1923, vigorously took evangelism to the streets of Lagos with emphasis on the importance of the Bible.

That effort eventually earned him the name “Bible Brown” from the people.

Brown traveled throughout the West Indies in the early 19th century, and later in West African countries like Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Brown preached openly and strengthened small groups of Bible students, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called.

The three–hour centenary programme, titled “History-100 Years of Courage! Jehovah’s Witness in Nigeria” featured the organisation’s history from 1921-1946: Small Beginnings, 1947-1972: Standing Firm Under Test; 1973-1979: Period of Increase and 1998-2021: Courageous Stand in Modern Times.”

Other features of the programme are virtual Exhibition Tour, including the construction of what has been referred to as the first Kingdom Hall in Ilesha, in the then Western Nigeria, now Osun State in 1935.

The tour also featured the construction of the first Nigerian Branch Office in Shomolu in 1956 and the first convention in Benin City in 1958.

Other landmark achievements include the steady growth of the faith in Nigeria, including the translation of the Bible and other Bible-based publications in many Nigerian languages, commencement of four-colour prints since 1990 and the 2021 Report which puts the total number of Witnesses in Nigeria at over 400,000.

The event was climaxed by a Bible-based talk titled “Maintain Your Courage into the New World.”