Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has ignited fresh controversy after declaring during a sermon that Nigeria was not established by divine will but rather as a colonial project.
Addressing his congregation, the clergyman argued that the country was formed primarily to advance British economic interests.
“I don’t believe Nigeria was created by God. This country was put together for the business of the British purse, so they would not have to bear the cost of running the less prosperous parts of the region,” he said.
Adefarasin noted that even the name “Nigeria” did not originate locally, but was coined by the girlfriend of a British official during the colonial era. He insisted that revered figures such as Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, and Nnamdi Azikiwe were not the true architects of Nigeria, but rather beneficiaries of a structure designed in Whitehall, London.
The preacher decried Nigeria’s economic decline, lamenting that the nation, which should by now be “the factory of Africa,” has instead become a dumping ground for imported second-hand products.
He called for urgent educational and industrial reforms, particularly the revitalisation of technical schools to equip Nigerians with practical skills. Citing China’s model, Adefarasin maintained that the country could still become a global hub of innovation and production if led by men of justice, equity, and a genuine commitment to nation-building.
