Q & A
Top 10 Richest Churches In Nigeria (2020)
Religion is an important aspect in the spiritual lives of Nigerians. Christians attend church to praise, worship and pray to God through Jesus Christ as commanded in the Holy Bible. In no particular order, we list the top (10) ten richest churches in Nigeria, in terms of assets, financial worth, the number of branches and estimated congregation they have.
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1. The Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic church is the richest church in Nigeria and even in the world. The Pope is the head of the church. In fact, the financial worth of the Catholic church is unknown but online reports suggest that its estimated at $150 billion. The estimated number of baptized Catholic Christians in the country is about 23.5 million as at 2011 which makes her the church with the highest population in Nigeria. Also, several prominent individual attending this church who are among the richest men in the country and are known to donate generously to the church in other to assist in missionary and other charity works. The Catholic church in Nigeria is divided into various Archdioceses with an Archbishop heading an archdiocese. The archdiocese is subdivided into Dioceses which is headed by Bishops and a diocese has many parishes with a parish priest heading a parish. There are parishes in every village of the country with priests, various orders, religious and clergy spread around various states of the federation.
2. The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)
Second on the list is The Redeemed Christian Church of God also known as RCCG. This church is the most populated Pentecostal church in Nigeria having almost about 3 million persons as members. The wealth of the Redeemed Church of God extends to the educational sector as they own one of the best and most expensive universities in the country, Redeemers University. The church also have private jets worth millions of dollars which the General Overseer uses in preaching the gospel around the world.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye, is the General Overseer of RCCG and is a highly respected man of God and one of the richest pastors in the world. The church have about 3500 parishes scattered around various states in the country and also have the largest auditorium that can contain all their members when they organize prayer crusades.
3. Anglican Church of Nigeria
Just like the Catholic Church, the Anglican church has a large population with an estimate of 12 million baptized members within the country. They hold the record of being the first church in Nigeria during the time of the British colonial masters. The Anglican church brought Christianity to Nigerians. Modeled after the Church of England, the Anglican Church in Nigeria have separated themselves from that of England due to some conflicting doctrines especially when it comes to gay and homosexual issues and even appointing female bishops which she frowns against.
Presently, there are fourteen ecclesiastical provinces of the Anglican communion in the country all of which are headed by Archbishops who holds authority within their respective provinces. The “Primate of All Nigeria” is their head whose headquarters is in Abuja. These provinces include:
- Abuja – (Archbishop: Nicholas Okoh)
- Aba – (Archbishop: Ikechi Nwosu)
- Bendel – (Archbishop: Friday John Imaekhai)
- Enugu – (Archbishop: Emmanuel Chukwuma)
- Ibadan – (Archbishop: Segun Okubadejo)
- Jos – (Archbishop: Henry Ndukuba)
- Kaduna – (Archbishop: Ali Buba Lamido)
- Kwara – (Archbishop: ‘Segun Adeyemi)
- Lagos – (Archbishop: Michael Fape)
- Lokoja – (Archbishop: Emmanuel A. S. Egbunu)
- Niger – (Archbishop: Christian O. Efobi)
- Niger Delta – (Archbishop: Ignatius Kattey)
- Ondo – (Archbishop: G. L. Lasebikan)
- Owerri – (Archbishop: Caleb Maduoma)
4. Living Faith Church World Wide
Another rich Pentecostal church worthy of mention is Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel International. Aside the fact that it is among the biggest in the country today, its founder, Bishop David Oyedepo is the richest pastor in the world and in Nigeria and is currently worth $152 million. Among the assets of this church are universities owned by Oyedepo which include Covenant University in Ogun state and Landmark University in Kwara state. Bishop David Oyedepo is among Nigerian pastors with private jets which he uses for his ministry. The headquarters of Living Faith Church in the country is at Ota, Ogun State while Canaan-land, the venue of its crusades and prayer nights represents its worldwide headquarters.
5. Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS)
You might be wondering whether the BCS is one of the richest churches in Nigeria even though their faith and doctrine differs from all other Christian denominations in the country. The Brotherhood of the Cross and Star (BCS) boasts of wealthy men and also have assets that runs into billions of Naira. In terms of population, they are few when compared to other churches on the list, they still have reasonable presence in other countries abroad. The BCS was founded by their Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, in Calabar, Cross River State of Nigeria in 1956. Members believe that its founder, Olumba Olumba Obu, is the Holy Spirit, so they call him god and Jesus. They believe in reincarnation and other traditional African superstitions.
Obu’s son, Rowland often referred to as His Holiness Olumba Olumba Obu,”King of Kings and the Lord of Lords” by his BCS members further developed their religious organization by establishing the Star-cross TV to gain global exposure and wider evangelical reach.
6. Deeper Life Christian Ministry
Founded by Pastor Williams Folorunsho Kumuyi in 1973, the Depeer Life ministry is one of the popular churches in the country today and also one of the richest Nigerian churches.
They have an auditorium which cost the church about ₦4 billion to build and they have branches in every state in the country. Most believers in the Deeper life church are modest and lead holy lives as portrayed by Christ Jesus himself.
7. Christ Embassy
Christ Embassy also known as Believers’ LoveWorld Incorporated, is a big church and a Christian denomination founded in 1987 by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, one of Forbes richest pastors in Africa. The Church’s headquarters is in Lagos and has presence in so many countries.
Christ Embassy has about 13 million members worldwide and is still growing. The denomination also has churches in countries like South Africa, London, United States, etc. Sermons from Pastor Chris are often inspiring and soul touching, no wonder he is among the most sought after man of God in the country today.
8. The Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN)
The Synagogue Church of all Nations was founded by T.B. Joshua, Nigeria’s richest prophet worth about $10-$15 million according to Forbes. He revealed that God anointed him to begin his ministry which was why he established SCOAN. For every Sunday service, about 20,000 members are in attendance to hear what the man of God has to say. As it stands, the popularity of SCOAN has gone worldwide but this rich Church has two branches; one in Ghana while the headquarters is in Lagos, Nigeria, yet the number of people coming to see T.B Joshua runs in thousands. The worth of the assets of this church is allegedly estimated at ₦10 billion.
The SCOAN is even Nigeria’s biggest tourist religious attraction” and even in west Africa as a whole. Thousands of foreigners with infirmities seeking healing of various ailments queue to attend healing services or try to buy holy water from this church which is rumored to do miracles.
9. The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry
The Lord’s Chosen was founded by Lazarus Muoka and it is a large church that has money and large follower-ship. Headquarters is in Lagos and they have various branches in many states. The church has over 300,000 branches all over the world.
10. House On The Rock
This church founded by Pastor Paul Adefarasin is very popular in Nigeria and also one of the biggest with large membership base. He is the brain behind “The Experience”, a yearly event that brings gospel musicians from far and wide down to Nigeria to perform live worship. Adefarasin has written, authored, and self-published over 20 motivational Christian mini-books and multimedia resources. Three of his books have been published by Christian book publishers and distributors.
Politics
[Video] Tompolo makes first public appearance after six years
Who is Tompolo?
Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo was a commander in various guerrilla groups in the Niger Delta which were all agitating against the insensitivity of the Federal Government and the international oil companies towards to exploitation and degradation of the Niger Delta. Ekpemupolo’s wealth, derived mainly from oil bunkering, played a major role in founding both MEND and also his own fighters (Wikipedia).
Tompolo, who led the disbanded Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), was nowhere to be found immediately after President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn-in in 2015 as the Federal Government sent troops to get him apprehended.
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The government as published by the Nation Newspaper also declared him wanted through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for ignoring two bench warrants issued against him by the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos following an alleged N45.5bn fraud case.
But the court on July 15, 2019, dismissed all the charges against Global West Vessel Specialist Limited, a company linked to the former Niger Delta militant leader.
Despite the judgment, Tompolo failed to appear in public until October 19, 2020, when sources said he made a sudden appearance at the Egbesu Shrine in his Oporoza country home in Gbaramatu, Delta State, the Nation Newspaper reported.
His First Public Appearance after six years
Picture and video of his appearance showed the former warlord and his friends dancing, worshipping, and offering Thanksgiving to Egbesu, Ijaw god.
An Egbesu disciple, Bodmas Kemepadei, who confirmed the development, said the appearance of Tompolo, who is the Egbesu Priest, would help to facilitate resolutions of knotty issues in the Niger Delta region.
He said: “As Tompolo disciples and proponents of the Ijaw cause, this celebration to our National God Egbesu, is not just about the vindication and freedom of Tompolo, it is about the military invasion and burning of our communities without any provocation.
“It is about the IOCs that have refused to relocate to the region even after a presidential directive, it is about our people having a fair share of our natural resources, it is about freedom from these Federal Government promoted ailments that our people suffer from.
“We celebrate Tompolo with confidence that these issues will be addressed, we celebrate with our spirits high knowing that the time for resource control is now, let this be a message to all our brothers in struggle, the days of arms are over, we have to engage the FG with intellectualism, we call on all to be part of the resource control agitations, the time is now” (The Nation).
Articles
What is NIN number in Nigeria?
According to Wikipedia, a national identification number, national identity number, or national insurance number is used by the governments of many countries as a means of tracking their citizens, permanent residents, permanent residents, and temporary residents for the purposes of work, taxation, government benefits, health care, and other governmentally-related functions. The number appears on identity documents issued by several countries.
Below are 7 things you need to know about the NIN in Nigeria
- The NIN is your assured digital identity
- The NIN is a set of 11 numbers assigned to an individual at the completion of enrolment into the national identity database
- The NIN is cannot be transferred from one person to another
- The NIN is used to verify your identity as a citizen
- Your NIN is what identifies you and can suffice for ID purposes
- The NIN is for life, it does not expire
- The NIN is a must – have for all citizens
Visit http://nimc.gov.ng/ for more details
Q & A
Aisha Yesufu: Nigeria’s Statue of Liberty
Aisha Yesufu is a Nigerian social and political activist who came to limelight for speaking up for the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in 2014. In 2020, she and thousands of Nigerians all over the world protested against police brutality. The almost 50 years old Aisha was also at the forefront of the #EndSARS protest and forced the Nigeria Police Force to listen to the voice of the people and dissolved SARS, a tactical unit of the police force on October 11, 2020.
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⭐Aisha Yesufu⭐ was the co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaign that tirelessly held protests demanding for the rescue of the 276 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno state. The Chibok schoolgirls were between the ages of 15-18 years as at the time of their abduction in 2014. She was part of Nigerian women that protested at Nigeria’s National Assembly, in Abuja, on 30 April 2014.
At the age of 10, the Nigerian female social and political activist concluded that the worst thing any human can do to her was to kill her. She realised that no matter what she and everyone else will still die and that death is inevitable and not the worst thing in life. Aisha Yusufu said she never feared anyone while growing up though she respects people. She only fears the Supreme Being. Aisha Yesufu in October 2020 said she would not leave the fight against End SARS protest in Nigeria for her children.
Biography of Aisha Yesufu
Aisha Yesufu was born in Kano state in December 1974, she is from Agbede in Edo state. She is from the tribe of Etsako and she is 5 feet 10 inches tall. Aisha described the place where she grew up in Kano as a ghetto. By the time she was 11 years, she did not have any female friends as all her female friends had been married and did not complete their education because they were at their husband house.
Education of Aisha Yesufu
Aisha Yusufu got her West African School Leaving Certificate from the Bayero University Staff Secondary School in 1991. According to an article on The Guardian, she wanted to enrol at the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) in 1991 but was rejected because she was a woman. Aisha Yesufu first gained admission to a tertiary institution at the Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto in 1992. In 1993, she got her A-Levels IJMB from the Kano State College of Arts & Science.
She left Uthman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto after a crisis for Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where she got admitted to study Medicine. This female activist left Ahmadu Bello University when it was shut down because of the murder of a professor in 1994. She then got to study at the Department of Microbiology at Bayero University, Kano in 1996 and graduated with a second class upper Bachelor of Science Degree from the university in 1999 three years after.
In each of the 3 universities (Uthman Dan Fodio University, Ahmadu Bello University and Bayero University) where she made friends, her friends avoided moving with her at the administrative block for fear of getting rusticated. She got a masters degree in Pharmaceutical Microbiology in 2006 at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
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Aisha Yesufu Career
Aisha Yesufu, a graduate of Microbiology is a businesswoman. She did her NYSC year in Kano state from January 1999 to January 2000. She was posted to and served at Kano State School of Nursing where she lectured students on medical microbiology, development and spread of infectious diseases in patients.
Aisha went to business after schooling in the 2000s. She made business her main focus. She is the CEO of Aliyyah & Amir Ventures Limited and has been with the family business since January 2003. Aisha Yesufu manages the day to day activities of the company. The business is involved in trading and distribution of general merchandise and raw materials in Northern Nigeria.
The businesswoman also founded Citizens Hub in January 2017. Citizens Hub is a non-profit organization that seeks to build a solution-driven and dynamic approach to building a financially independent, active and responsible citizenry. Citizens Hub is based in Abuja, Nigeria capital.
Aisha Yesufu’s Marriage
Aisha Yesufu got married to her husband Aliu, an Auchi man in 1996 while at the university at the age of 24. She was the one who approached her husband. The marriage is blessed with two children a son and a daughter with the youngest child (her daughter) born in December 2001. Aisha Yesufu once revealed that she is not a big fan of house chores. She says her husband is her number one fan.
Aisha Yesufu’s Activism
Activism as always being part of Aisha Yesufu life. She as always stood up against injustice. Aisha Yesufu do tell tales of how she participated in several protests while studying at the 3 universities she attended. She has been actively involved in over 100 protest marches demanding social justice in Nigeria.
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Aisha was a columnist at Daily Times from September 2019 to March 2020 where she wrote about contemporary issues affecting Nigeria. The Bring Back Our Girls civil rights group where she was the co-convener persistence helped in the rescue of at least 100 Chibok girls from the Boko Haram terrorist group with more still missing. She was the Sit-Out Coordinator and then Chairperson of the Strategic Team of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign group. Since 30th of April 2014, the civil the group has staged a sit-in protest at the Unity Fountain to compel the government to bring back the remaining girls despite all forms of intimidation and harassment by security agents and the Nigerian government.
In 2019, Aisha volunteered as a member of the Oby Ezekwesili Presidential Campaign Organization during the 2019 elections in Nigeria. In 2020, she was very active in the #EndSars campaign. Aisha and several thousands of Nigeria protested against police brutality that eventually led to the dissolution of the SARS tactical unit on Sunday, October 11, 2020, by the Inspector General of Police.
Aisha Yusufu is very active on social media and is known to fight injustice both online and offline. She has been physically present in at least over 100 protests in Nigeria and is known to be one of the positive change voice in Nigeria. She is fluent in English, Hausa, and Etsako languages. Aisha won an Award for Humanitarian Service during her NYSC. She as also won the Social Person of the week on Kakaaki and was also given the Voice of Humanity award by the Guardian Newspaper. Aisha Yusufu is a practising Muslim.
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