Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Church, Paul Adefarasin, has ignited widespread debate following a controversial sermon in which he asserted that Nigeria’s creation was not a divine act, but rather a strategic decision by colonial powers designed to serve British financial interests.

 

Speaking to his congregation during Sunday’s service, Adefarasin challenged long-held beliefs about the country’s foundation, arguing that Nigeria was formed through geopolitical deals between empires — not divine intervention.

 

“Nigeria, I do not believe it was created by God,” Adefarasin said. “I believe that Elizabeth the First got into a deal with the Ottoman Empire concerning the Sudan. Two empires got together and decided that this land would go to the sons of Ishmael.”

 

The pastor referenced The Martyrdom of Man, a book by Winwood Reade, to support his views, emphasizing that Nigeria’s history and formation were shaped by imperial interests and not a sacred mandate.

 

“The Church Must Get Right What Man Got Wrong”

 

While distancing his remarks from political intentions, Adefarasin stressed that the church has a role in correcting historical and structural wrongs.

 

“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,” he added.

 

The influential preacher also questioned the legitimacy of Nigeria’s constitution, calling it a product of military rule rather than the democratic will of the people.

 

“When a constitution proposes 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,” Adefarasin said.

 

Citing Psalm 11:3 — “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” — he likened Nigeria to a building set on unstable ground, insisting that without solid foundations, true progress remains elusive.

 

Adefarasin didn’t hold back in his assessment of Nigeria’s leadership, pointing to systemic corruption and inefficiency. He used the poor state of infrastructure, particularly road construction, as an example of self-serving governance.

 

“Why they build roads and resurface them wrongly, I don’t know. Somebody suggested to me that it’s because they want the same contract next year,” he said, implying that short-term profiteering often trumps sustainable development.

 

Founding Fathers? Or Colonial Architects?

 

Perhaps most controversial was Adefarasin’s dismissal of Nigeria’s revered nationalist figures — Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, and Ahmadu Bello — as true founders of the nation.

 

“They are not the founding fathers of Nigeria in my opinion,” he said. “The founding fathers of Nigeria are some men from Whitehall, and a fellow called Tob Goldman. His girlfriend named the country, and also Lord Lugard.”

 

He maintained that Nigeria was engineered to subsidize British economic interests, particularly in less prosperous parts of the territory, under a broader imperial agenda.

 

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Adefarasin’s remarks have since sparked a flurry of reactions on social media and in political circles, with some praising his boldness in questioning historical narratives, while others criticize the timing and implications of his statements.

 

As Nigeria approaches a new election cycle and ongoing debates about restructuring and national identity continue, his sermon has added fresh fuel to an already intense national conversation.