The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) LSC Omole, led by Pastor Adeola Abolaji, alongside RCCG Youth Province 1 under the leadership of Pastor Leke Adeboye, has received a prestigious award from the Lagos State Government.
This recognition highlights the church’s significant contributions to education and its efforts towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the state.
The award was presented by Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, Lagos State Commissioner for Education, who was ably represented by Mr. Paul Legbeti, Director of Co-curriculum, Science and Technology from the Lagos State Education District 6.
This recognition highlights RCCG LSC Omole’s dedication to impactful interventions in critical sectors, especially in education, health, and youth empowerment.
Speaking on the award, Pastor Adeola Abolaji expressed deep gratitude to the Lagos State Government, emphasizing the church’s continued commitment to contributing positively to society. “This recognition further encourages us to extend our hands in service and impact more lives through innovative and sustainable programs,” he said.
Pastor Olumide Emmanuel, founder of Calvary Bible Church, recently celebrated 35 years in ministry. Reflecting on his journey, which began during his university days, he shares how a divine call led him to become a teacher of God’s Word. In an interview with Adeola Ogunlade, he addresses various issues, including his stance on prosperity teachings, tithing, and the spiritual dynamics of life.
What led you to the Ministry?
In school in those days, we used to have a mid-week service every Wednesday. It’s normally a fasting and prayer school. Work and lectures used to end at 12 noon to 1p.m, and on one of those days, I heard a voice clearly that “Study more of my word for you need to teach my people.” Like I always say to people, life is only forward but understood backward. As of then, I did not know that it was the call. I didn’t know that that was an encounter, but I later got to know that it was an encounter I had and that it was God calling me to be a teacher of his word. Because from that point, I had this insatiable desire to study the word.
And every time I read the Bible, I see things that others don’t see. My level of understanding just opened up, expanded, increased, and grew; and I didn’t know that. It was when I started sharing with people all that I knew with others, we started doing a lot of stuff on campus: under the trees, in villages, we were planting 1 or 2 churches. Then, we did a lot of evangelism and stuff.
Until I came back to make use of those things I knew after graduation and then I became a pastor at 21. I was an assistant pastor in that church for about 3 to 4 years. So, God now called me to pioneer and start a ministry, which gave birth to Calvary Bible Church.
Some of your critics said you are a ‘prosperity cleric’, what’s your reply to them?
Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion. I’m not a prosperity cleric. I’m an economic empowerment agent. I don’t preach prosperity, I teach people economic empowerment.
I teach people how to become value creators and create wealth by offering value, and solving problems and meeting needs. So most of what people call prosperity messages and prosperity preaching is just materialism and greed and covetousness, and that’s not what I do.
You can be described as a motivational speaker and author of over 30 books. Where do you derive the inspiration and energy to do all these?
I have written over 100 books. Well, the inspiration is from God, and the energy is from God because I don’t think that any man or woman can achieve anything without the support of God. It’s just been God all the way.
I’ve come to realize that even though people think that I’m very, very hardworking, I’m only hardworking in my purpose. As I’m here now, if you tell me to do something that is not in line with my purpose, I’m a lazy man. You tell me to do something that is contrary to my passion. I’m a lazy person.
But when it comes to my calling, my purpose, my passion; what I am, I can work 24 hours. So, it’s all about being at the centre of the gospel for your life. But like I said, fish do not struggle to swim; birds do not struggle to fly because that’s what they are created to do. So, when you are doing what you are created to do, grace will flow, inspiration will flow.
Speak on the linkage between the spiritual and the temporal world. Which one guides the other?
In the world we live in today, the spiritual controls the natural. The spiritual realm is the realm where events are called before they happen. So, before anything has its occurrence in the natural, it has had its occurrence first in the realm of the spirit. So the realm of the spirit is the root.
The physical realm is the fruit and once you understand the workings of the realm of the spirit, you’ll be able to navigate this in the physical. That’s why I always say to people that you’re either in a secret cult or you’re in a secret place. So, of course, the supernatural is the completion of the spark of the natural.
I read somewhere where you said you don’t travel to some overseas countries. What were your past global experiences like? Which countries have you barred in your future itinerary?
In 2001, I was on a global tour, which started in Europe. I toured France, Italy, Spain, and Norway for minister’s conferences and evangelism. I even ended up opening an office in Verona, Italy, where I had staff. But I soon realised prostitution was a major issue. It first hit me one day while I was preaching in Italy and I made altar calls to those who would want to give their lives to Jesus. I had people coming to me, seeking deliverance from HIV and AIDS. There were lots of HIV-positive persons within that congregation. Then I would counsel, how did you contact it and when I got to know it was through sexual immorality, then I would be told that they cannot stop because they have a contract, that they are under a covenant. It sounded so strange to me. Then I started wondering, how do you say you are a born-again Christian and you are a prostitute? I didn’t understand. I couldn’t be judging them, but at the same time, I cannot deny what the Bible says. So, it was a conflict for me. Then the climax was I went to speak at the church, one of the major churches. Then I made an altar call- you ask people to come and give their lives to Jesus. The church population should be close to 1,000; a major church, the choir was amazing. And now after my altar call, for those who wanted to give their lives to Christ should come out. And you know, because of the nature of the message I was preaching about, living a purpose-driven life, living a life to please God, living holiness and all the stuff. Do you know that the whole choir came out, ministers, church workers! I initially thought that maybe the interpreter didn’t interpret very well. I said, come on; sorry, I mean, if you want to give your life to Jesus. How can you then be living as a prostitute? And they are in the choir, ministers, and church workers! And they claim they are born-again and speak in tongues. At the same time know they have a contract, they have entered a covenant and until they finish paying, they are to continue in prostitution! You know, I heard many other funny stories I cannot go into now. At that point, I knew that this place, the people here, have another level of grace and anointing.
I don’t understand, because I can’t be judging people that they are not saved. At the same time, I cannot claim that people are saved when they are living a life where they are daily sleeping around with different people all in the name of a contract or whatever. My understanding of God, maybe they know God more than me. This shocking realisation discouraged me with missions in some parts of the world.
The hardship in the country has made Christians and others alike denounce Bible passages like the 1st Timothy 2: 1-4 or Psalm 22:28; What message do you have for people like these?
The Bible says in the last days, perilous time shall come. Many shall be lovers of themselves, unthankful and unholy. So, they are fulfilling scripture now.
However, when you are looking up to a man, you will always end up in shame and disappointment. God is our source. Politicians are not our source. The economy of the nation is not our source. Our job is not our source. Once you see God as your source, you look up to Him and you understand the laws and principles that govern the world and do your part, it’s only a matter of time before you will escape the struggles of the world. So, I will just tell people, hang in there. Tough times never last, but tough people do. Just hang in there, and you will end the testimony. Well, the summary is don’t be a hypocrite. Be a true Christian. Live for God. Because what we are practicing mostly in this part of the world is religion, not Christianity. Religion is more dangerous than the devil. Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship with your Creator. When you practice Christianity as a religion, you’re going to be a pawn in the hands of charlatans behind the pulpits. You are going to be a victim of the religion, myopic, limited, ignorant, interpretation of scriptures of the people you listen to. So, be a true Christian and be an example of the change that you want to see because if it’s going to happen, it’s up to you and if you are not part of the solution, you are entirely part of the problem. So, I look forward to people being a part of the leadership conference coming up on the 31st of October and the 1st of November at the Marriott Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
There was a recent commentary by one of the leading pastors on tithes and tithing, what’s your view?
I don’t have any view on tithes and the tithing in the Bible is my view. I’m a Christian. I am a pastor. The reason why we have diverse opinions concerning many doctrinal issues in the Bible is because a lot of people bring in their own opinions and personal views into the interpretation of scripture.
So, I don’t do that. I don’t have a personal opinion or personal view about tithing. What the Bible says is what I believe, and that’s what I live by. I believe that everything that we have belongs to God. So, the entire 100% of your income belongs to God, not 10%, not 20, not 30, not 40. 100% of your income belongs to God.
People give but only a few people give exactly what God asked them to give. Don’t wait for pastors to say bring this, bring that. Pastors give general instructions. But we should ask God for specific instructions. If you follow general instructions, you will get general blessings. God is the owner of everything that you have if you are truly a child of God. Now, as a child of God, if you now understand that God is your source and everything, he has given you belongs to him, whatever He now asks you to give, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, whatever you can give, you now give. 10% is just like a minimum requirement like an act of what you say. God, thank you for blessing me, I’m bringing this thing as an act of worship, to acknowledge that you are my source and to be able to say have your way. Anybody that is limiting themselves to 10% is actually preaching contrary to the biblical teaching of the Bible. For me, my 100% belongs to God.
• Haunting reality of Zara Aji, others amid Maiduguri’s reptilian surge
• As waters recede, over 150 PWDs missing, presumed dead
• How non-inclusive laws leave disabled elderly at disadvantage
The flood stole through the streets of Gwange like a reptilian beast. Until it got to Zara Aji’s home. By the time the 83-year-old stirred in her bed, she was soaked to the pants. The Alau Dam had collapsed hours before, spilling with nature’s pent-up rage. It was 3 a.m. when the water began its slow, fearsome crawl into her abode.
The cold splash from her feet up to her midriff startled her fully awake. Aji could hear the roar of the water outside and its chilling hum inside her room. She sat, trapped and helpless. At 83, she was blind and her body was frail.
As the flood rose to her waist, the house listed to the weight of the water gushing in from every crack and crevice. Aji’s room became a watery tomb. And in that critical moment, salvation came in the form of her grandson, Mohammed. Having heard the chilling hiss of the flood as it surged into their compound, the teenager was up in an instant, wading through the house in search of his granny.
A debt of love carried through cold waters
Mohammed found Grandma Aji shivering in bed. Promptly, he lifted her onto his back and waded through the depths of the flooded house, against the current that sought to pull them both under.
Tears slid down Aji’s cheeks, as she clung to her grandson, the poetic resonance of the moment sinking into her heart. In that moment, he was no longer the toddler she rocked to sleep on her back, singing soft lullabies. The roles were reversed. The grandson was now the saviour and protector, bearing his grandma to safety through dangerous waters.
Aji could feel the water splashing against the boy’s chest. She could hear him grunt as he fought to keep them moving. And in the darkness, as the deluge splashed threateningly around them, there was a strange, haunting beauty in the way love had come full circle.
Mohammed hastened out of the house before its walls crumbled. There was no turning back. The water seemed endless, but they moved through its depths, slowly but steadily towards London Chikki. He held tightly to his grandmother as if he understood the import of his actions. In that moment, he was carrying more than just her frail body; he was bearing a lifetime of memories, love, and shared history.
Into the shallows, but not to safety
They sought refuge in the London Chikki area, but the flood had not spared it either. The waters were still rising, the current still swirling to pull them both under. “We walked again,” Aji recalled, her voice frail with grief and exhaustion. “We walked until we reached the main road.”
For three days, they stayed on that road, waiting for the waters to recede, like so many others displaced by the flood. Hungry and helpless, the cold seeped into their bones. They were far from safe, but at least they had survived.
Eventually, they sought refuge with Aji’s brother, who took them in until the waters receded. After they deluge, they hurried back to Gwange, only to meet a shell of what used to be their home. Their house was gone, reduced to a pile of broken walls. Grandma Aji’s clothes and her few prized possessions had also been swept away in the torrent, leaving her destitute.
“The government didn’t provide anything for us,” she said. “We heard there was support, but it never came to our community.”
Lost in the torrent: Stories of the invisible
Aji’s experience is one among several narratives of persons with disabilities (PWDs). And they all resonate with a deafening chill. For most elderly PWDs, the flood devastated their lives and exposed their inability to survive natural disasters. As the waters rose and people fled, visually impaired PWDs who could not see the danger approaching were left behind.
Not all were so fortunate, like Aji. On the same night that her grandson rescued her, Safinatu Bala and her friend, Seyidatu, got lost in the waters. Both widows, the duo reportedly lived beside each other in Gamboru, their lives intertwined by friendship and a shared hardship of visual impairment.
When the flood came, they clung to each other and wailed for their neighbours to rescue them from the rising water. But in the chaos, they got separated and swept apart. By morning, neither woman could be found. No one knows if they are still alive or if they had drowned in the surge.
On his part, Iliyasu, an 84-year-old visually impaired and internally displaced person (IDP), told his fellow PWDs and co-squatter around the Monday Market, in Maiduguri, to leave him. “I have lived through too many floods. I will survive,” he said. “But if this is to be my end, then so be it.” His words reflected the desperation of several PWDs amid the deluge. Like Bala and Seyidatu, Iliyasu hasn’t been seen since September 10.
For many PWDs in Maiduguri, the flood was a cruel reminder of their vulnerability. They could not see the rising waters or gauge the danger until it was too late. Volunteers and aid workers in their rush to evacuate the able-bodied, overlooked those who could not flee on their own, noted Zulfatu Adamu, a Maiduguri-based aid worker. And so, the blind and disabled were left behind.
The collapse of Alau Dam
The eventual collapse of the Alau Dam was the result of years of neglect and mismanagement, warnings ignored and postponed repairs. Thus on the night of September 9, 2024, after days of torrential rain, the Alau Dam finally gave way as its weakened structure crumbled under the weight of the water.
At the dam’s collapse, Maiduguri experienced its most severe flooding since 1994. Severe flash flooding submerged the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere Local Government Area (LGA), displacing hundreds of thousands of people, including PWDs, at the height of the agricultural lean season’s food and nutrition crisis.
In a statement titled, “Flooding Alert for River Bank Residents,” the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, called for the immediate evacuation of affected areas, and urged residents to follow designated evacuation routes for their safety. However, a major blindspot of Borno’s rescue plan was the safe evacuation of PWDs in the flood-prone areas.
As the waters surged, many residents panicked and rushed to evacuate what seemed like certain death. For most, it was a panicked dash through roads slick with mud, toward whatever safety they could find. The flood ravaged villages, farmlands, and human lives alike, but hidden in the narrative of loss was the deeper anguish of several elderly PWDs like visually impaired Aji, Bala, Seyidatu and Iliyasu.
Bitter streets, bitterer shelter
Survivors like Fatima Yagana, 74 and visually impaired, sought refuge at emergency shelters. “Before the flood, I lived with my niece. She invited me to squat in her home after her husband died. On the night that the flood destroyed our home, I couldn’t sleep easily. I woke up and everywhere smelt like death. But it was the flood, and it almost drowned me and Rekiya (one of her niece’s kids). We fled and now have to live on the streets. We depend on alms to survive,” she said.
The 74-year-old who has been rendered homeless and destitute by the flood, now lives on the streets with her niece, Ayisatu, and the latter’s two kids, because they couldn’t stay at the Gwange 1 emergency shelter due to the unsanitary conditions.
The crowded shelter, like so many others, offered no sanctuary. The stench of human waste clings to the air all through the squalid and congested shelter, rendering its heated expanse even more suffocating. “The toilets smelt bad,” Yagana lamented, stressing that even though she can’t see, should at least enjoy fresh air. That was why she chose the streets, preferring the rough ground and open sky to the claustrophobia of an unsanitary refuge.
A humanitarian void
The Borno State Government, alongside humanitarian agencies, scrambled to provide aid. Yet, amid the efforts to register and assist the displaced, the specific plight of PWDs slipped through the cracks. In total, more than 2,500 people with disabilities in the flood-prone areas were directly affected by the flood, many of them left stranded in their homes as the waters rose, with over 150 missing or presumed dead, according to the National President of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Abdullahi Ali Usman.
The figure quoted by Ali Usman is no doubt a conservative estimate. It would be recalled that precisely 3,127 PWDs comprising turned out in Maiduguri, to receive the N30,000 grant disbursed by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, in 2019, as part of the social protection scheme of his administration.
Going by the 2019 figure, the number of PWDs reportedly affected by the September flood, therefore, doesn’t represent the full picture.
The affected PWDs were not invisible, but rather ignored, denied access to the evacuation routes and the dignity of urgent care. The numbers—37 deaths, 58 injured, 414,000 displaced—attest to the depth of the devastation. Beneath the statistics subsists issues of marginalisation and neglect. “Already PWDs are facing marginalisation due to their disabilities, this flood disaster is a double blow for them,” lamented Ali Usman.
Corroborating him, Abiodun Tilawe, a social psychologist and emergency aid consultant stated, “Persons with disabilities are usually at greater risk in an emergency. More worrisome, she argued, is the fate of older PWDs with mental health conditions. “They are at a higher risk of death as the hardships experienced impact devastatingly on their mental health. Many become traumatised by the fear of losing their lives and being left behind. From experience, older PWDs find it difficult to adapt to the extreme conditions into which they are suddenly thrust. Before the disaster, they are not taught about what to do to adapt and keep themselves safe. Some of them, who were displaced from their communities by protracted conflict, lived on the streets without any caregivers. Since the flood happened, they have been unaccounted for, and nobody has bothered to look for them,” said Tilawe.
The trauma after
For PWDs who survived, each day in the aftermath of the flood has been an agonising reminder of their vulnerability. The disaster stripped them of autonomy. Their disability is a barrier to their mobility, access to provisions and dignity.
For Jelani Aliyu, life as a PWD at the Gwange 3 temporary refuge, became extremely difficult. Confined to a wheelchair, the 81-year-old revealed that the damage done by the flood made accessing every basic necessity an impossible feat. According to him, the emergency shelters were not designed for PWDs. The aid distributions were chaotic, the strong elbowed out the weak, and the disabled were left to mope on the fringes. There were no ramps, accessible toilets, and accommodations made for people like him. He was invisible.
The ongoing conflict in the region cast an even darker pall over the lives of PWDs. In 2014, in the town of Damasak, Mohamadou, a blind man of 53 years, fled from his home as Boko Haram laid siege to his community. Blind and defenceless, he clung to his wife and son as they swam across the Yobe River, ducking a volley of gunshots from the rampaging terrorists. “We swam like fish,” he recalled, though he could not see the river.
For two years, Mohamadou lived in a refugee camp, dependent on the kindness of his son and strangers. But his disability marked him as a prey. His young son was frequently shoved aside by stronger, older men, and time after time, as he queued for provisions and other relief items. Thus he often returned empty-handed.
“I would wait in line with my young son to get aid, but adult refugees would kick children away, including my son. We were too weak to fight back and would often lose our turn and return without getting anything from the distribution,” he said.
Mohamadou, like so many PWDs displaced by flood and conflict, became a ghost, alive but uncared for.
It’s a hard life for PWDs
Nigeria was affected by the worst floods in a decade between June and November 2022, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The floods triggered over 2.4 million displacements, the highest disaster displacement figure in sub-Saharan Africa in 2022. Half of the displacements were reported in Bayelsa State, but Anambra and Kogi were also heavily affected. Displacement camps in the northeastern state of Borno were also flooded, forcing thousands of people already displaced by conflict and violence to flee again. By comparison, floods triggered 166,000 displacements in 2023, a figure in line with the average of the past decade. By the end of 2023, 81,000 people were still living in internal displacement due to disasters, a more than ten-fold reduction compared to the end of 2022.
Disaster displacement, whether triggered by cyclones, wildfires, floods, or other hazards, is a growing global issue with particularly harsh consequences for PWDs, who have to endure heightened risks due to discrimination and barriers to accessing essential services.
In 2020 and 2021, the UN noted that older PWDs may encounter unique challenges during climate-related disasters, such as the Borno flood. Similarly, a 2021 report by Women in Displacement (WID) revealed that 27% of IDPs in northeast Nigeria have a disability, a figure that has increased since the insurgency. As a result, PWDs living in camps are disproportionately affected and frequently excluded from key interventions.
According to the WHO’s 2018 World Disability Report, many PWDs in Nigeria, are disproportionately affected in disaster, emergency, and conflict situations due to inaccessible evacuation, response, and recovery efforts. The WHO notes that they are more likely to be left behind or abandoned during evacuation in disasters and conflicts due to a lack of preparation and planning, as well as inaccessible facilities, services and transportation systems.
During floods, older PWDs would require greater assistance and additional time to evacuate, but they receive less support. Further findings revealed that most IDP camps are not accessible and people with disabilities get turned away from the emergency shelters, oftentimes, due to a perception that they need “complex medical” services. Consequently, older PWDs find themselves at greater risk as they are more likely to suffer medical conditions, such as heart or respiratory conditions, through extreme situations, according to expert opinion. Older PWDs may also take medications that cause intolerance and impair the body’s response to cold and heat. The high death rates of people with disabilities and older people during the 2021 heatwaves in British Columbia (BC), Canada, illustrate these points: 91 per cent of those who died had a chronic medical condition or a disability and 90 per cent were older people.
Due to the lack of accurate data, it is often unclear exactly how many people with disabilities and older people are affected by a particular disaster as indicated by the Borno flood. The lack of accurate data on the number of IDPs living with a disability and their location equally poses challenges to monitoring their needs and allocating resources. It also makes it difficult to tailor support and assess the inclusivity of responses over long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts.
About a billion people, or 15 per cent of the globe’s population, are estimated to have a disability, of whom 80 per cent live in low- and middle-income countries, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). The global number of people with disabilities is increasing, partly because of ageing populations and a rise in chronic health conditions. It is not known how many people with disabilities live in IDP camps associated with disasters. The IDMC estimates that 5.1 million people were still displaced as a result of disasters at the end of 2019, but this figure is highly conservative. This is because data on the number of people living in displacement after a disaster event is scarce.
Accessibility issues, stigmatisation and variations in definitions tend to render IDPs with disabilities invisible during data collection. They are, as a result, often under-identified. For example, when Ambae Island in Vanuatu was evacuated in 2017 because of increased volcanic activity, there were concerns that a significant number of people with disabilities had not been identified among the evacuees. The International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM-DTM) reported 37 people with disabilities out of 5,125 people located in one evacuation centre. This represented less than one per cent of the total displaced population. Sources vary on the prevalence of disability in Vanuatu, but 2019 data from the UN placed it at up to 12 per cent.
Disability Bill as a paper tiger
On January 23, 2019, Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, following nine years of relentless advocacy by disability rights groups and activists.
The law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability and imposes sanctions including fines and prison sentences on those who contravene it. It also stipulates a five-year transitional period for modifying public buildings, structures, and automobiles to make them accessible and usable for people with disabilities.
The law also established a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) in 2020. The NCPWD, tasked to guarantee PWDs access to housing, education, and healthcare, is also empowered to receive complaints of rights violations and support victims to seek legal redress amongst other duties.
Yet, one thing the NCPWD hasn’t done is to ensure the protection of Nigerians with disabilities during a natural disaster, emergency or conflict.
Lack of data accentuate social exclusion
Quoting recent World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, the immediate past executive secretary of the NCPWD, James Lalu, disclosed that currently, there are over 35.1 million persons living with disabilities in Nigeria of which a paltry 4,000 are duly registered.
Notwithstanding, his successor and incumbent executive secretary of the Commission, has reiterated the NCPWD’s commitment to ensuring inclusive policies for all clusters of PWDs in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of the incumbent administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Gufwan made the assurance in Abuja during a parley with a delegation from the Pioneers of the Nigerian National and International Disability Civil Rights Movement and Policy Chapters, a disability advocacy Group.
“We are open to partnering with National and International bodies to ensure that the rights and privileges of persons with disabilities are protected as stipulated by the Prohibition Act, 2018,” he said.
Earlier, Gufwan affirmed that data remains a veritable tool for the proper planning and execution of all disability-inclusive projects in Nigeria.
The NCPWD had previously emphasised the importance of accurate data gathering and processing as the fundamental aspect of inclusive social policies for PWDs. “We must prioritise facts and figures of various clusters in the disability community to get it right,” he said, insisting that the need to ascertain the actual number of persons with disabilities is pertinent. “Over the years, persons with disabilities are believed to be about 35.1 million in Nigeria which is of course, a staggering figure but, we must revisit this and ascertain the authenticity of this figure and update it if necessary,” he said.
A 2018 estimate by the National Population Commission (NPC) states that there are about 19 million, that is, 9.6 per cent of the 198 population approximately, living in Nigeria.
In Nigeria, social protection for PWDs remains weak, despite government claims of increased provisioning for them. The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, passed only after years of advocacy, has done little to address the deep-rooted exclusion PWDs face in society. Discrimination persists, driven by negative perceptions and cultural stigmas that label disabled individuals as cursed, especially in communities lacking proper disability-inclusive governance.
This exclusion often results in poverty, dependence on others, and health challenges. In the conflict-ridden northeast, PWDs, particularly women and children, suffer more acutely, being unable to pursue livelihoods or enjoy basic social rights.
A report by the Grassroots Researchers Associations (GRA), authored by written by Timothy Ali Yohanna, revealed that PWDs in northeast Nigeria suffer frequent violations of their rights. These include opposition to marriages with non-disabled individuals, denial of medical care due to financial constraints, denial of access to decent shelter, and exclusion from social opportunities.
More worrisome is the institutionalised disregard for their right to life as established before, during, and in the aftermath of the Borno flood. These discriminatory practices and lack of disability-inclusive policies rendered PWDs particularly vulnerable during the disaster, further deepening their already precarious situation.
The need for inclusion
Whether fleeing an extreme weather event or conflict, “disabled people are among the most vulnerable, and are more likely to be side-lined in every aspect of the humanitarian assistance process,” said Cheick Ba, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)’s Country Director in Nigeria, in the wake of Mohamadou’s predicament.
“They face multiple barriers in accessing aid, information, healthcare and protection. We, humanitarians, must do much better in our work. We have to systematically identify and register displaced persons with disabilities,” said Ba.
Article 11 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in risk and humanitarian emergencies, pays particular attention to the obligation of States and parties to undertake “all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.”
Environmental dangers and natural disasters like the Borno flood, can lead to the onset of many types of disabilities, and inaccessible environments prevent persons with disabilities from taking part in social and economic recovery. Rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, therefore, must not only be inclusive and responsive to the needs of all people, including PWDs, but should include the latter’s participation, to ensure that their needs and rights are respected.
Women with disabilities, Aji, are a particularly vulnerable group whose needs should be included at all stages of recovery and reconstruction efforts.
But that is in the long run, in the short run, their survival depends on the goodwill of neighbours and family; those who dare look their way, not to scorn their ordeal or simply talk eyes to their grief.
As the waters recede and Maiduguri takes stock of the damage, there is a sense of loss so profound it is hard to put into words. Lives have been upended, homes have been destroyed, and communities torn apart. Amid the wreckage, there is also a sense of despair as elderly PWDs are left adrift, far from the government’s reconstruction plans.
In the absence of government support, Zara Aji, for instance, has learnt to take each day as it comes. At her last encounter with the reporter, giant houseflies buzzed lazily in the thick air around her, their tiny, winged bodies hovering around her face as if they could perceive her grief. They perched on her eyelids, cheek, and lips. Aji did not flinch. She did not swat them away. Instead, she sat stoic, with heartbreaking inertia, allowing the flies to perch as they pleased. Their buzz filled the air with a strange, haunting hum, as though they too mourned the loss she had endured.
For the 83-year-old, there is no going back to what was. The flood had changed everything. Every sunset, she lounges on the broken veranda of what was once her home, reliving that fateful night in September, when the skies poured over Maiduguri with a fury rarely seen, collapsing the Alau Dam and submerging several homes and lives in Borno. Gwange, the neighbourhood where she had lived for years, is now a shell of itself; a landscape of mud and sorrow.
Aji, 83 and visually impaired, cannot see the destruction around her. But she can feel it in the cold draft of the breeze, the dampness that clings to her skin, and the hollow echo of the neighbourhood’s once-familiar sounds.
Her frail memories remain her only witness to the horror of the reptilian flood that submerged her home, almost drowning her. Until salvation arrived in the form of her grandson, in a poignant moment that affirmed a debt long owed and finally repaid.
In commemoration of this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, the Association for the Education of Young Girls aka Young & Pure held a conference/workshop to discuss the theme of the day: ‘Girls vision for the future’.
The event which had about a hundred girls from schools across Amuwo Odofin Local Government and environs was held at The Archbishop Abiodun Adetiloye Anglican Nursery and Primary School, FESTAC Town, Lagos.
According to the founder of the association and convener of the event, Mrs. Juliet Keshinro, the event was to mark the day and gather and inform the young girls about the theme of the day.
Stated Keshinro, who said she is driven by a passion for the girl child: “My passion for the girl child is driven by the fact that as a growing child, I did not live with my parents, and because I lived with people, they told me the things that I was not. It was when I found Christ that God began to lead me and I discovered who I am and I’m grateful to God. And that’s why I resolved that for every girl child, I am going to impact them until they begin to live their dream, like I am living my dream today.”The day also featured a panel discussion, which aimed at preparing the girls for the future and also avail them the opportunity ask questions and get answers on issues that can direct their thought patterns.
The panel comprised: Barrister Omonigho Ogbe, Coach Nneka Okonkwo, who teaches strategy and how to become what one wants, and Coach Uzor Nonye Iweka, a life coach, who educates people on how to use the resources at their disposal to be all they want to be.
Back in his home state Ekiti, having garnered wealth of experience working under three governors in Lagos, Dr. John Moyo Ekundayo, now Special Adviser/Director-General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery (OTSD), in the Ekiti State Government, speaks with Gboyega Alaka on Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s two years focused and accelerated impact, the role of his office, which has seen him get denigrated and praised, and an ongoing mind-shifting mission to re-orientate the public service workers for better productivity.
You are Special Adviser/Director-General, Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, in the Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji administration in Ekiti State. Tell us about it. Is it a new creation or an already existing office?
No, the position, Special Adviser/Director General Office of Transformation and Service Delivery, OTSD, is not a new creation. It was created in 2012 during the first term of the former Governor John Kayode Fayemi. It came about as a result of a reform recommended by the DFID (Department for International Development) of the United Kingdom. They did a lot of introspection into the civil service and came up with the idea of having an office that will coordinate the policies, strategies, programmes and projects of government, so that there would be service delivery. In essence, it was to oversee all what the ministries, departments, agencies of government were doing to contribute to the execution of the strategic trust of the government in power. The Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BOA) administration came up with six strategic actionable pillars, which I’m sure we will be talking about in the course of this interview. Our office is to oversee how well things are going, what are the milestones? What are the targets; what do we need to do? What are we not doing right? What are we doing right that we should intensify efforts on?
How is this office different from the one you occupied in Lagos until recently?
Yes, I was Director, Monitoring and Evaluation in Lagos State under the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget (MEPB). I became the head of that department, which will have to prepare what is called pre-payment certification, without which no payment can be made, and it doesn’t matter who you know. I oversaw that department, working under Govs. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Akinwunmi Ambode and the incumbent, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for six years before retiring in January 2021. Basically, that department monitors the programmes/projects of the government, evaluates them, reports back to the government, looking at certain indices and milestones, and then recommends for payment. Hitherto before the inception of that department, there were agencies of government that were not actually executing their projects who wanted payment and were getting payments. But since that department came up in Lagos, hardly will you see any of the projects being abandoned in the state. The pace may be slow, maybe due to the contractor not measuring up, but that could also lead to him being blacklisted.
What then are the responsibilities of OSTD in Ekiti?
What I was doing in Lagos is a subset of what I am doing in Ekiti now. Monitoring and Evaluation is just one component of what we do in the Office of Transformation and Service Delivery. Our main mandate is to oversee the policy trust of the government, and especially the six strategic agenda or pillars of the administration. We are to monitor, track, evaluate the progress of the processes of achieving these strategic agenda – what works, what doesn’t work, why it doesn’t work; and make a report. Already, we have carried out two evaluations, evaluating the appointees, the special advisers, the commissioners; prior to the evaluation, we set out on what is called pre-evaluation interface or parley, where we met with them and let them know the metrics with which we would be evaluating them. In the end, some of them complained that ‘hey, you don’t even know the condition under which we’re working, yet you’re asking for results.’ And we capped it up by saying ‘don’t worry, we will visit you’, and we did. We visited 52 MDAs, all of which were not in one place like we have at the Lagos State Secretariat. In fact, after the whole exercise, three of my staff members broke down.
I imagine that this role would put you at loggerheads with other appointees and top officers; how have you managed that?
(Laughs) You are not far from the truth. I remember Mr. Governor telling me at the outset that I ‘Dr. Ekundayo, you will step on toes, but the success of this administration depends on you’. And though I wondered within myself if I was the Head of Service, Chief of Staff or SSG,’ I took the bull by the horns. Of course we were called names – EFCC, ICPC, policemen…; but we were also called some nice names like coach, class captain… But we didn’t allow that to distract, discourage or denigrate us. We focused on the assignment. And I was glad when we met with the governor, because my team actually requested to meet with Mr. Governor, which he graciously granted, and he said to us: ‘You have surpassed my expectation.’ That really encouraged me. But that does not mean that we’re resting on our oars. As far as I am concerned me, we have only scratched the surface.
How would you describe working with Governor Oyebanji?
I will say it has been pleasant working with him, and that is taking cognisance of the challenges. He is a listening governor; he is assessable, friendly, but firm. That he is friendly does not mean he suffers fools gladly. He listens, but then, you have to be sure of your point. Let me also tell you that coming with my experience in Lagos, working in Ekiti is a different ballgame. True it is still a civil service, but different context. There are certain mentalities that we discovered that made us introduce what we call ‘Mind shift’. We discovered that people had fixed mindset, which was against growth or expansion, and which frustrates empowerment, equipping and everything development. So I realised we needed to first sensitise the people; so we called the different levels, including political appointees at different times, and told them it was going to be in series, starting with Mind Shift Series 1.
Speaking of ‘mind shift’, are the people not accusing you of bringing Lagos ‘wahala’ to Ekiti?
Of course, that is expected. I have heard side comments like, ‘this is not Lagos,’ but you know what? After some time, some people started saying, why did this man stay in Lagos for so long? Because we facilitated a lot of positives, such that it is the agencies that are now inviting our people to come and take them on ‘Mind Shift sessions. And I allow them to fly, because they already have the training and part of my PhD thesis is to empower people. Servant leaders empower followers.
Lets’s look at the six pillars.
The six strategic pillars of the Governor Biodun Abayomi administration are: Youth Development and Job Creation – because the bulk of our people are youths and women; the second is Human Capital Development, which is about Education, Health, Social Investment to alleviate poverty in Ekiti; the third is Agriculture and Rural Development; to this effect we have farms up to about 2000 acres through our ‘Bring Back the Youth into Agric’ programme. I was part of the governor’s entourage on Independence Day, when we visited Iyemero, Oke-ako, Gede, Emure Eporo, Ikere, Aramoko Erio, even my own town Ido Ekiti, where we have cluster farming. So the days of Awolowo farm settlement are back in Ekiti, and it is for real. Any journalist can come over to see for themselves. The fourth pillar is Infrastructure and Industrialisation; many roads are being constructed, some have been completed, some are due for commissioning this week and next. We have the ring road being constructed that will round Ado-Ekiti; the phase 1 is ongoing; phase 2 will take off later. Then we have power connections. Many people do not know that there are communities that are not collected to the national grid and have not had power for over ten years, like in Ekiti E, Ayekire, Gbanyin area, and some other local governments. In the course of this second anniversary celebration, the one of Igbara Odo, Ijero will be commissioned, with transformers to communities. Also we have Ero dam, Egbe dam, Oreje dam are all connected to the national grid during this administration. There is also Arts, Culture and Tourism. Our troupe, Ekiti Troup, recently won an award in Brazil as the best. They performed at the Olojo Festival in Ile-Ife recently and the Ooni of Ife was so impressed that he decided to take them to Brazil. In tourism, we are doing well. Ikogosi is not just about the warm spring, it is Ikogosi Warm Resort and we have five star accommodations, international cuisine; and the roads are good now, wherever you’re coming from. Lastly, we have Governance, which is the foundation for everything. Pensioners, under the incumbent governor, are having the best of time. Two months back, he gave out N1billion to pay gratuities; and in the last three days, to mark the administration’s 2nd anniversary, he released N3.5bilion in one day to pensioners, and they were all just happy. Other benefits such as car loans, housing loans have been restored and a lot more are coming to make life better for the people. In all, I give this government a pass mark.
But all this requires huge financing, Ekiti is not among the highest earning states, whether in federal allocation or IGR, how does the government manage?
That is a very salient question; in fact our budget is the least among the 36 states and the FCT. The good thing, however, is that our overall budget performance was 91 percent for budget 2023. Regarding funding, our governor was criticised earlier in this administration for shuttling between Ekiti and Abuja, but thankfully that has begun yielding dividends. Some government agencies like the Fashion and Garment hub from the office of the Vice President, the ICT centre through that same office, have come to Ekiti. Mr. President has been so supportive of the state and this has really helped us in delivering in the area of infrastructure other areas of governance. I also need to mention that when the incumbent governor came in, the IGR of Ekiti was about 600 million naira; but as we speak, we are N1.5 billion per month, and we have not taken off with our Land Use Charge. We already have the law and the governor has sensitised the stakeholders, so it can only get better. Kudos to the Executive Chairman of the Ekiti Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Olaniran Olatona; he was headhunted by Mr. Governor himself, who also gave him autonomy.
Is Ekiti looking at producing just food crops for food security or exploring cash crops to earn foreign currency and make farming worth the while of the young farmers?
It’s both. We are also targeting tree crops. We have an investor, already the Governor and the Commissioner of Agric is aware, who wants to invest in oil palm massively. And Mr. Governor is saying, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll give you land. That’s part of the appeal he made to the traditional rulers during the budget stakeholders engagement in Aramoko, Ifaki and Ilawe, where he told them ‘please give us land’. So the government is ready to clear free of charge, give seedling and also off take. Prior to this time, some people would come from Ibadan, Ilorin, and other places and give our farmers stipends, because they know they had difficulties accessing credit. Thank God we have cooperatives in Ekiti now, where there is funding, so farmers only need to join cooperatives to access capital. We also have investors who are interested in big time farming – tree crops such as cashew, oil palm, cocoa. Rice farming is also on. Our rice is what they carry to other areas and call ofada rice. We have low land rice, we have upland rice in Ekiti; all these are things we want to rejig. The governor has promised to build houses, complete with all amenities and infrastructure like solar light, satellite dish, so that they can feel at home. We want our people looking for jobs in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, who are looking for miserable 100,000 naira white collar jobs, to come home and invest in intelligent farming, where they can invest 500,000 naira and make N3million in four months. Do you know that carrot grows in Ekiti, even ginger?
Every year, the Niger State Government promises smallholder farmers a lifeline: subsidised agricultural inputs and machinery worth millions of naira. Yet, despite the grand declarations and elaborate plans, these subsidies rarely reach the farmers who need them most. What happens after the ceremonial flag-offs? Do the intended beneficiaries, especially those in remote communities, actually get the crucial inputs? JUSTINA ASISHANA visited several rural communities and spoke to smallholder women farmers about their experiences with government subsidies.
We have put in place structures and machinery for distribution. We have made it a policy that only 10 bags can be sold to an individual. Bank details and BVN of individuals will be taken into consideration and we have invited the EFCC, ICPC, and also the police to make sure that this is done right. We are bringing subsidies in agriculture and it must be sustained. EFCC, ICPC and CID will oversee the sale of fertilizers to farmers.”
Those were the words of Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, stated at the flag-off of the 2023 wet season sales and distribution of fertilizers as well as other agricultural inputs to farmers in Minna on July 10, 2023. There, however, appears to be a gulf between promises and reality with respect to equitable distribution of fertilizer to farmers in the state.
Bilikisu Suleiman, a rice and soyabeans farmer in Wushishi Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State has been into farming for the past eight years. She was hopeful after hearing the governor’s promises. However, her optimism was short-lived because neither she nor other women benefitted from the subsidised inputs.
“This happens every year. We will hear that the government is giving out inputs, but at the end of the day, we do not see or get it.
“But this time, we felt things would change since the governor mentioned EFCC and ICPC, but it remained the same.
“We went to the distribution centre which is the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) office but were not given any input.
“It came as a surprise to us because they asked us to submit our names but we did not even know who to meet when the distribution began.
“So, we ended up looking at those who came to collect the subsidised produce and thinking of how our members will benefit.
In Gbako LGA, the Coordinator of the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation of Nigeria (SWOFON), Felicia Maaji, who farms beans, groundnut, millet, rice and potatoes, said that the lack of access to subsidised inputs forces farmers to rely on outdated and inefficient methods, including using of hoes for tilling, heaping and planting and cutlass or hoes for weeding.
Due to the inability to get fertilisers, their lands, according to Maaji, have been losing fertility while several crops are being lost to insects and pests because the farmers have no pesticide to stop an infestation.
“Every year, we re-cultivate our lands which are fast losing their fertility because we do not have fertilizers.
“There is no access to government-subsidised fertilizers and no money to buy from the retailers who sell at the stores.
“Chemicals like herbicides and pesticides are too expensive for us. Even now, we are having a shortage of lands because the lands are losing their fertility. They do not produce much like before, and since there is no fertilizer to put in, the yield is low.”
Speaking about benefiting from government-subsidised inputs, the coordinator said they do not hear about it nor have they received it at any time.
“We do not even hear about it, not to talk of receiving. If they are bringing these inputs, it means they do not bring it out in the open for people to benefit. Or maybe they share it among themselves.
“But here in the Gubata community, the farmers have not benefited from any of these subsidies.”
Mary Musa, a maize, melon and sweet potatoes farmer from Gusadin Community in Gbako LGA, recalled better times when fertilizers were affordable, pointing out that since last year, due to the increase in the price, she could no longer buy fertilizer for her farm.
She said: “When fertilizer was cheap, I could buy up to five to ten bags for my farm and spray the needed quantity of herbicides and pesticides.
“Before, I bought a bag of fertilizer at the rate of between N20,000 and N22,000. But now, it costs between N35,000 and N42,000 per bag.
“Sometimes, I have to buy per measure because buying in bags is very expensive for me now.”
Majority of the smallholder women who spoke to our reporter mentioned various ways they tried to improve the yields of their farms.
Linda Kosu, a rice and millet farmer in Gusadin community in Gbako said that she and others resorted to using refuse as fertilizer on their farms in the absence of fertilizer.
“We use refuse on our farms to improve the fertility of the soil. That is what is called organic manure. That is how we manage it.
“But we do not get enough to cover the whole land where we farm because there is not much refuse and it is what everyone packs to their farms.
“So sometimes, we cultivate half of the farms or only farm in the area the manure covers.”
Fatima Mohammed, a rice farmer in Doko community, Lapai LGA said she uses rice and maize dusk and cow dung popularly called manure to fertilize her land and crops. “I would not say it is good or not, but it is better than not putting anything at all in the farm after we plant,” she said.
Political farmers hijack subsidies
Several smallholder farmers revealed a troubling trend: ‘political farmers,’ well-connected individuals who exploit the system, securing large quantities of subsidised inputs meant for genuine farmers, leaving the real farmers with nothing.
Ramatu Mohammed Kontagora, SWOFON Coordinator in Kontagora, shared her frustration especially as she was present at the flag-off ceremony held in Minna and she had to rush back to Kontagora to inform her members that they were bringing the inputs to the local government area.
“But in the end, we still did not get anything. They said they were bringing it down to Kontagora and we should go to the ADP office in Kontagora. But on getting there, we got nothing because it has already been shared among politicians. We did not get even one bag.
“The problem is that you cannot access it if you don’t have access to those people, those politicians. There is no way you can get it.
“Yes, the fertilizers and chemicals got to Kontagora but the real farmers did not get it. They will tell you that they were given allocations, and when these officials come, they give the allocation to the politicians, which they share among their own people.
“Once you are not their people, you will not get it. At the end of the whole thing, the people who get it will resell it to the real farmers, which is us.
“Although it is still less than the one sold in the market, it is higher than the subsidized price. Like if they got it for N20,000 from the politicians, they will sell it at N30,000 or N35,000 while the market price is between N40,000 to N45,000.”
Saadatu Gambo from the Nasara Women Farmers Cooperative in Wushishi echoed these sentiments. She noted that real farmers often have to purchase subsidised inputs from those who received them through connections rather than need.
“Because they have ‘long legs’ (connection), they get these inputs. We on our part use our own money to buy from the market or from those who were given subsidised inputs.
“They sell it to us because they are not real farmers and they do not need it. What they only need is the money they would gain from selling it,” Gambo said.
Despite government efforts to streamline the distribution of subsidised inputs, the system seems to be failing. Many smallholder farmers, especially women, feel sidelined and disenfranchised.
Felicia Umaru from Lavun Local Government Area expressed her exasperation that despite being told to submit names to the local government secretariat, which they had done several times, they still did not benefit when the inputs were brought in.
She said: “Those of us in Kutigi here, especially women farmers, have not benefited from the subsidized inputs.
“Yes, the government is bringing it out, and yes, they are asking us to submit names, which we do, but sometimes before it reaches the grassroots, when it enters the hands of the politicians, we hardly get it.
“Even when we submit names, we do not know when these items are distributed or even when they are brought into town.
“We usually feel that everything begins and ends in Minna. If everyone who is a farmer says they did not get it, then who did they give it to?
“Also, look at the local government secretariat close to us here. If they are sharing something like that, some of our people will be aware and inform us.
“So everybody cannot be lying that they did not get it”, she stated.
Felicia Maaji, the SWOFON Coordinator in Gbako said they often meet the traditional leaders in their various communities accusing them of hijacking the process and not letting them have access to the fertilizer, but these leaders claim they do not know when they share it.
“We do not benefit here at all. I know because I am in contact with almost all the women farmers in this local government.
“We do not even hear about it without seeing or receiving it. If they are bringing them, that means they do not bring it out to distribute to the real farmers, and if they do bring it out, that means they share it among their own people but I and other women buy our inputs with our own money.”
How dilapidated and non-functional ADP offices lead to non-accountability of fertilizers
The reporter learnt that most of the fertiizer shared at the state capital was supposed to be distributed from the ADP offices across the states where farmers could get it via information from Extension workers. However, this has failed to get to those who really need it because several of the ADP offices across the state were in state of collapse and there were not enough extension workers to give the information to the farmers in the rural areas.
Several of the farmers spoken to acknowledged that in the past there were agricultural extension officers who helped them a lot with farming techniques and adequate information. But this is no longer the case as several of them do not know who the extension workers are or how they can get to them.
SWOFON Coordinator in Lavun said that no extension officer had been in contact with her or any of her members saying that all they do is from the knowledge they gained from their relatives and from the training they got from development partners who come once in a while to the local government.
The warehouse in Wushishi has collapsed while the farmhouse which should be staff quarters for the extension officers is dilapidated.
In Zungeru, the office structure is collapsed with some skeletal building standing, and the Zonal office in Kontagora is dilapidated with several remnants of office furniture. In Rijau, there was only a pillar showcasing that an office was there.
The women asked that if the offices and warehouses are dilapidated, where would the fertilizers and other input sent in from the state capital be stored?
“That is why we told you that we do not know how to get these inputs. Even before we hear about it, it is finished. In most cases, we do not even know when it is distributed because we do not know who to meet or where to go,” said Fatima Mohammed in Lapai.
The reporter tried to locate some of the extension officers in these local government areas but she could not locate any because the women who were interviewed said they did not know any and efforts to reach out to relatives and friends to connect them to one or two met a brick wall.
The agricultural extension service is the most important public service institution with the widest range of responsibilities for agricultural and rural development.
Extension officers provide advice and information to assist farmers in making decisions and generally enable them to take action.
Although farmers already have a lot of knowledge about their environment and their farming system, extension can bring them other knowledge and information which they do not have.
The transfer of knowledge and skills to farmers and their families is an important extension activity.
The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) 2020 Report rated Nigeria as one of the African countries with the lowest ratio of agricultural extension workers to farmers in Africa. The report assumed a baseline of one extension officer to 7500 farmers.
“The lower this ratio, the better access farmers have to expert information and advice on how to access and use improved seed and other relevant agricultural technologies,” the report said.
The only good building in the ADP office in Kontagora was shut when the reporter visited, while the agric desk officer at the local government secretariat was not on seat.
However, the reporter met the cashier of the local government secretariat, Mohammed Ibrahim Bello, who said that the inputs are not given directly to the secretariat but to the ADP office.
Bello said: “In the past, that was about eight years ago, these inputs were given to the local government which handles everything and knows how to share them but now, they do not and we have heard complaints that several people do not benefit from it.
“It would be great if this is reversed back to the way it was before. They give it to the local government Chairman who shares it with the real farmers through the desk officer of agriculture.
“Now, from Minna, they take it to the ADP and from the ADP, they share it, not minding whether you are a farmer or not. They give some people preference and ask others to join the queue day after day.
“Most people do not get at all even after staying in the queue for days.”
At the community level, the community leaders also denied knowing when these inputs are shared, saying that they did not hear about when the distribution would be made.
When the reporter paid a visit to Alhaji Muhammad Kudu Ibrahim, the Ezanuwa Kutigi, a traditional ruler, he was with his council of chiefs and they all said they had not received any type of government-subsidised agricultural inputs in the domain.
One of the chiefs, Alhaji Jiya Lemu, said: “We have not been receiving it. We haven’t even seen the place they share it talk less of receiving it.
“The interventions we get mostly are from FADAMA and IFAD which we know are government based. But they have their own focus areas. But anyone from the state government directly, we haven’t seen that.”
Ezanuwa Kutigi said: “You have heard them all. If they have been given, at least, our people would inform them and they would inform me.
“Such things cannot be going on in my community and I would not know. If they say they bring it to the local government area, where do they take it? Who do they give it to? We also need to know.”
The village Head of Gubata in Gbako Local Government Area said that the common problem with farmers is access to fertilizers and other inputs and expressed sadness that they do not receive the government-subsidised inputs.
“Sometimes we do not hear about the subsidised agricultural inputs and sometimes we hear about them. But by the time we send our people to go and access it, they would have distributed it.
“We also found out that most of those who receive it resell it. We have sent people to these places several times but those they meet at the ward level will direct them to individuals who have received it but want to resell it so they buy from them.
“These agricultural inputs are usually given to people who do not need it, but because they are in politics or they have friends who are politicians, they have that opportunity. Power is in their hands.
“Last two years, I went to the Edozhigi ward when we were informed of availability, but with my status and efforts, at the end of the day, I could not get any.
“What we sometimes do is that because Bida is a bit far from here, we gather money from anyone interested in buying fertilizer and other inputs and one person would go to Bida to buy them.
“It is much less expensive to buy in Bida than the retailers in our community.”
Niger State SWOFON Coordinator, Mrs Grace Disa, says it is not all the ADP offices across the state that are functioning, adding that though there are extension officers who offer extension services, they are not able to reach the majority of the women in the rural areas.
“Most of my members have not benefitted from extension services. The majority of them do not even know any extension officer or agent and they do their farming activities the way they can.”
Grassroots solutions suggested
Many farmers and community leaders believe that empowering local leaders to distribute inputs would be more effective. The Ezanuwa Kutigi recommended that the government should give directives that the subsidized agricultural inputs be given to the community leaders who will in turn call the leaders of the farmers and give it to them for onward distribution to their members who are fellow farmers.
John Gana, the Village Head of Gusadin in Gbako Local Government Area, suggested that the government should leverage the trust and proximity of community leaders if the government really wants the real farmers to benefit from its interventions.
“We know our people and are close to them so, we know each and every one of them especially those who are farmers. If the inputs come through us, we can ensure they reach the real farmers,” he proposed.
“What they are doing currently is making it go through the hands of the politicians, which makes it hard to get to the farmers.
“We had a meeting with the District Head where we laid out our complaint.
“Even if it is to take the inputs to the Emirs who would give it to us for onward distribution to our people in the community, it will help a lot.”
Elizabeth Saba from Gbako agreed, emphasising the role of cooperatives. “Most farmers are in cooperatives. If the government worked with our leaders, we could distribute the inputs efficiently.
“If they can locate our leaders with the fertilizer, we will get it without any stress or struggle,” she said.
Felicial Umaru in Lavun also stated the same.
She said: “Take the example of SWOFON, we are in every local government area and we have members almost all women farmers are members of SWOFON.
“Once the people at the top ask us to submit names, they should deal with the coordinators directly as it is through these coordinators that these inputs will get to the farmers at the grassroots.
“But if they do not do this, it will still be zero. The farmers at the grassroots will not benefit from these government interventions.
“Whenever the government wants to help the people, they should follow the right channel, find the leaders in the communities and groups so that these interventions will get to the real farmers.”
We’re aware of political farmers, ready for them – Government
The Managing Director of the Niger State Agricultural Mechanization Development Agency (NAMDA), Muhammad Ali Baba, acknowledged that the government is conscious of the issue of ‘political farmers’ and assured that measures are being put in place to eliminate this problem and they do not scuttle the initiative put in place for the real farmers to benefit.
“Political farmers come from where the government is. But in this new dispensation, it would not be business as usual.
“The programme we have in place would require that any beneficiary submit its cluster, ward and local government area and we will ask our extension workers to verify them through the village and district heads.
‘In this new programme we intend to start, the village heads and community leaders will be part of the verification process as they will have to vouch for and verify the farmers.
“We are conscious of the challenge and every effort is being made to mitigate it.
“We will also reinvigorate our extension workers to ensure that they begin working again as they will be the ones who will identify the farmers and ensure that every farmer at the grassroots benefits from the initiatives.”
When the reporter asked about measures taken to prevent the extension workers from compromising the process, the MD said there would be checks and balances to ensure that there is no compromise by the extension workers, “any worker that plays funny with this task will be risking his or her work. It is their job and their life and I do not think they will want to risk it.
“As the extension workers would be demanding transparency and commitment from the farmers, so also would we be demanding commitment and transparency from them.”
On the ADP offices across the state, the Executive Director of Operations in NAMDA, Rilwan Jibril, said that the ADP offices had been neglected by the previous government while the Extension Officers are either aged or retired adding that the current administration is working to revive the ADP offices and employ young men and women across the local government areas as extension officers.
“We are currently recruiting youths for the Agricultural Extension Volunteer scheme where three youths per ward would fill the vacuum of ageing and retiring extension workers.
“The government has also set up a committee to go around the local government areas to assess and look at ways of resuscitating the warehouses and offices of ADP across the state
Diversion stories untrue, says Perm Sec
Despite these assurances, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Mathew Ahmed, dismissed reports of diversion of the inputs distributed so far by Mohammed Umar Bago’s administration, citing the ministry’s implementation and monitoring committees.
“I want to assure you that there is no diversion of those inputs to the best of my knowledge, because the ministry staff, the store officer and security officers are all involved and will be there at the distribution centre.
“Each beneficiary will have to identify themselves before they are given the input and reports. The issue of diversion is just news that is flying, but you cannot really pin it and say this is true.
“As a ministry, we set up an implementation committee that monitors the input distribution and we also limit the number of bags or quantity that each farmer would access so that it can go around.
“The truth of the matter is that we cannot provide input on subsidies for all the farmers so we are looking at basically smallholder farmers benefiting, farmers that have one hectare and below so that it would be able to go round.
“People who are complaining about this may be those who have like five hectares so if you have five hectares, you are no longer a smallholder farmer.
“Those who are considered are the smallholder farmers, only those with one hectare can access the inputs so that other farmers will be able to key in and benefit from the subsidy.”
On the smallholder farmers not getting the information for the distribution of the inputs, Ahmed highlighted the state’s communication efforts to inform farmers about distribution schedules.
He said: “The news is always on air. We do jingles, we make announcements, it is on the social media and it is everywhere.
“It is not true for people to say they are not aware of when the inputs are distributed at the local level.
“The information is also on the radio and because we are conscious of the fact that some people may not be able to watch television due to non-access to electricity and are in the village but they can access radio, and social media, so we ensure that the information is there. The information is not only passed in English, we pass it in other Indigenous languages like Hausa, Nupe, and Gbagi so that people can understand that this is the ongoing activity.”
The Permanent Secretary said that farmers are discouraged from selling or diverting the inputs when they get access to it but lamented that everyone has a mind of their own, “you can only give someone advice after you leave, we cannot monitor the to their houses. But we try to monitor their various farms to ensure that it is used in their farms. Even with that, they are just samples of the farmers but we ensure that any farmer that is caught will not benefit from subsequent input distribution. These are the things we have put in place.”
He further disclosed that the sales of the inputs by the farmers is of concern to the government which is why in the new agricultural initiative of the state government, farmers who benefit from the input distribution would be paid N50,000 monthly to quell the temptation of them to sell the inputs they will be given.
“Our current Niger food arrangement with farmers which will commence soon, we are going to give the farmers minimum wage. This is because when we give a farmer fertilizer, herbicide and at the end of the day, the farmer does not have access to funds, there is this temptation to sell a bag out of the bags of fertilizer he was given or one litre of herbicides he was given so that he would have money with him. What Niger Food is trying to do is that with the input distribution to smallholder farmers, every month, they will be given N50,000 to cushion the effect of cash within the smallholder farmers.”
What next in 2024?
Despite government assurances, the stark reality for many smallholder farmers in Niger State is a continuous struggle for access to essential agricultural inputs. As the new administration promises reforms and stricter measures, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will finally address the systemic issues and ensure that the true beneficiaries receive the much-needed support.
For now, farmers like Bilikisu, Felicia and Mary continue to grapple with uncertainty, hoping for a day when the government’s promises translate into tangible support for their fields and futures.
For real progress, the government must heed the voices of the farmers and community leaders, ensuring transparency and accountability in the distribution process. Only then can the vision of sustainable agricultural support truly reach the grassroots.
This report was made possible with support from the International Budget Partnership (IBP) under the ICIR Strengthening Public Accountability for Results and Knowledge (SPARK 2) Project.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) LSC Omole, under the leadership of Pastor Adeola Abolaji, and RCCG Youth Province 1, led by Pastor Leke Adeboye, has been honored with a prestigious award from the Lagos State Government.
This award recognised the church’s contributions to education and the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Lagos State.
The award was presented by Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, Lagos Commissioner for Education, represented by Mr. Legbeti, Director of Science and Technology from the Lagos State Education District 6.
This recognition highlights RCCG LSC Omole’s dedication to impactful interventions in critical sectors, especially in education, health and youth empowerment.
Through several community-driven initiatives, the church has played a pivotal role in supporting the Lagos State Government’s educational programs, promoting literacy, skills development, and access to quality education for children and youth across underserved communities.
These efforts are in line with the SDG goals of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4) and fostering sustainable development.
Pastor Adeola Abolaji, expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government, emphasising the church’s continued commitment to contributing positively to society.
“This recognition further encourages us to extend our hands in service and impact more lives through innovative and sustainable programs,” he said.
Pastor Leke Adeboye, on behalf of RCCG Youth Province 1, also thanked the government for the acknowledgment and reiterated commitment to the well-being and empowerment of young people, aligning with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being).
The Lagos State Government commended the RCCG LSC Omole for its active role in complementing the state’s efforts toward achieving the SDG goals and fostering a better future for all.
Islamic principles emphasise economic justice and societal well-being, with Maqasid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law) prioritising the protection of human life, including safeguarding people from harmful economic practices.
In Nigeria, inflation has led to a significant rise in food prices, placing a heavy burden on vulnerable communities.
The Islamic Market in Iwo, Osun State, established by Sheikh Daood Imran Molasan, Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta and the President of the Jamaat Taawunil Muslimeen, seeks to mitigate this by offering essential goods at fair prices.
The market encourages sellers to reduce prices in a manner that does not harm their profitability, while simultaneously easing the financial burden on shoppers.
This initiative aims to reduce the pangs of inflation by striking a balance between the interests of both sellers and consumers.
This article explores the market’s alignment with Islamic ethics, alongside critiques from Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Al-Ilory, OON, and commendations from Professor Ishaq Oloyede CON FNAL, Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). It also investigates the broader historical roots of Islamic market ethics and its impact on community welfare.
Historical background of the Islamic market and its basic etiquettes
Markets in Islam occupy a significant and esteemed position due to their essential financial and economic roles in people’s lives. They serve as centres of exchange and commerce, where individuals acquire their livelihoods and fulfil their essential needs.
The concept of the Islamic market, as established during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is rooted in prophetic guidance aimed at promoting economic justice and ethical conduct in trade. The migration of Muslims to Medina intensified the economic challenges faced by the nascent Islamic state.
In response, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) initiated several measures to address these challenges. A critical step was fostering brotherhood between the immigrants (Muhajirun) and the local supporters (Ansar), alongside the establishment of the Suffah, a space adjacent to the Prophet’s mosque to accommodate poor immigrants.
Upon examining the economic landscape of Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) recognized that the Jewish community wielded significant control over trade, manipulating prices and resources to exploit the needs of the population. To counter this, it was imperative to create, a market that would enable Muslims to engage in commerce and showcase Islamic ethical standards.
Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) designated a location for the Muslim market to the west of the mosque, personally marking the area and declaring, “This is your market; let it not be diminished, and no tax shall be levied upon it” (Ibn Majah, 2233). Under his supervision, the market flourished, and he established guidelines and ethical standards to govern its operations. This included the elimination of deceitful practices prevalent in pre-Islamic trade, promoting fairness and equal opportunities for all participants.
The historical foundation laid by the Prophet (PBUH) was guided by fundamental etiquettes and principles of justice that have continued to shape Islamic economic practices.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instituted numerous etiquettes and sanctities for the Medina market to protect its integrity, and these etiquettes continue to serve as a moral compass for economic activities in Islamic societies today.
Prominent wealthy companions like Othman bin Affan, Talha bin Obeid-Allah, Zubair bin Awam, and Abdul Rahman bin Auf were significant contributors to the market’s success.
Objectives of establishing the Islamic market: A comparison with modern markets
A Muslim market abides by Sharia principles in all sectors. There are acceptable religious viewpoints regarding this. For example, in Muslim countries, non-Halal products or products that do not adhere to Sharia principles are sold in restaurants and hotels, such as alcohol and pork.
Some Muslim customers have no problem eating in these establishments as long as their orders do not include pork or alcohol. In many countries, like Malaysia, restaurants must be free of pork for Muslims to dine in them. Besides protecting dietary practices, these markets also regulate prices to bring relief to the public.
The objectives of establishing the Islamic market include promoting economic freedom while adhering to Sharia principles and creating a marketplace that respects Islamic values and facilitates trade. This emphasis ensures that all transactions comply with Islamic laws, including prohibitions against interest (riba) and unethical practices.
Additionally, the Islamic market aims to reduce government interference in market transactions and minimize excessive taxation that could hinder economic activity. It seeks to balance societal and individual economic needs, fostering a fair trading environment for both the community and individual traders.
Promoting fair business practices is central to this objective, banning monopolies and ensuring equal access to information while prohibiting unethical practices such as gambling and usury.
In comparison with modern markets, contemporary markets often prioritize profit maximization, sometimes neglecting ethical considerations and fairness.
They are frequently characterized by monopolistic practices, which contradict the Islamic principles of competition and fairness. Moreover, modern markets typically experience significant government intervention, leading to inefficiencies that do not align with the Islamic emphasis on economic freedom.
Consequently, prevailing practices in modern markets, such as interest-based transactions, undermine the core Islamic principles of fairness, justice, and ethical trading.
The Iwo Islamic market: Context and purpose
The Islamic market in Iwo, Osun State, has provided significant relief to shoppers by offering essential food items at more affordable prices. This initiative, spearheaded by Sheikh Daood Imran Molasan, was launched to address the economic pressures arising from inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies. Vendors at the market are able to sell their goods at lower prices while maintaining fair profit margins, meeting the demands of the local population for affordable commodities.
A key factor contributing to the market’s fair pricing is the absence of union or association levies, which often inflate prices in other markets. For instance, a vendor highlighted that selling fish at this market is significantly cheaper than elsewhere, while still yielding a healthy profit.
In addition to providing economic relief to residents, the market has drawn a diverse range of shoppers from various backgrounds. Plans include partnerships with local farmers to cut out middlemen, ensuring that farm produce can be brought directly to the market.
Mechanized farming initiatives are also under consideration, aimed at guaranteeing a steady supply of affordable produce. By aligning with Islamic principles, the Iwo Islamic Market represents a proactive step toward economic justice, offering an inclusive space for buyers and sellers from all walks of life. It also reflects the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whose teachings stress the alleviation of hardship within the community.
Commendations and critiques: Perspectives from the gown and town
The Iwo Islamic Market has attracted both commendation and critique from key figures in the Muslim community. Before the Rabitah conference, several notable personalities visited the market and praised the initiative. Among them was Alhaji Mutiullahi Onimalu, Asiwaju Musulumi of Oyo State, who visited the market and expressed admiration for its efforts in providing economic relief to the local community.
He acknowledged how the market, by offering food items at lower prices, was helping to ease the financial strain on residents, particularly in the face of rising inflation and subsidy removal.
During the Rabitah conference, although the Iwo Islamic Market was not a central topic of discussion, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, CON, FNAL, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), mentioned the market in his keynote address.
He praised the initiative as a proactive step towards fostering an ideal Islamic community, highlighting how it aligned with Islamic principles of justice, fairness, and economic welfare.
However, Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Abdullah Al-Ilory, OON, Mudir of Markaz, voiced his criticism following the keynote speech. He questioned the legitimacy of the market, asking whether such an institution truly conformed to Islamic teachings. Sheikh Habeebullah speculated that the market might have been established as a means to seek financial support from Saudi Arabia for personal use.
Despite this critique, the market had already received widespread commendation for its ability to alleviate the economic burden on low-income earners and uphold Islamic values in trade.
Speculation on Sheikh Habeebullah’s opposition
Some Muslim netizens speculate that Sheikh Habeebullah’s opposition is rooted in his earlier disapproval of Sheikh Daood Molasan’s appointment as the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland by His Royal Highness Abdul Rasheed, the Oluwo of Iwo (Telu 1).
In contrast, Sheikh Habeebullah presided over the installation of Sheikh Abdularasaq Abdul Azeez I. as the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta, reinforcing the authority of the Rabitah in appointing Muftis. Other speculations suggest that Mudir’s criticism may be because the initiators of the Islamic Market are not part of his immediate circle of students or associates.
Despite these critiques, Sheikh Habeebullah’s allegations have not diminished the market’s appeal or impact. Research shows that even non-Muslims are actively participating in the market by lowering prices to support the community.
The label “Islamic Market” does not exclude individuals of other faiths; instead, it promotes fairness and economic justice for all, consistent with Islamic ethical principles.
Conclusion
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the primary purpose of establishing an Islamic market was to regulate trade according to Islamic laws, allowing participation from individuals of other faiths as long as they adhered to the principles laid down by Muslims.
This principle is similarly reflected in Sheikh Molaasan’s market, where we encountered Christian neighbours, such as Mrs. Alabi Gloria, who confirmed that both Muslims and Christians engage in trade within the market. Therefore, it appears that Sheikh Habeebullah may be jurisprudentially incorrect in this context, given the historical actions of the Prophet and his companions in establishing and regulating Islamic markets.
Islamic history illustrates that during the development and rising economy of Madinah, Umar appointed Shifa Bint Abdullah as an officer and Controller of the Madinan Market to ensure that all business practices adhered to Islamic rulings, teachings, and values.
Her wisdom and knowledge significantly contributed to equitable trading in the marketplace, allowing the people to greatly benefit from her presence. This underscores how Muslims actively monitored market affairs in accordance with Islamic principles, ensuring that trade was conducted justly and in alignment with their teachings.
While it could be argued that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not explicitly mention an “Islamic Market,” it is essential to recognize that his actions were guided by divine command, indicating that such initiatives can indeed be considered “Islamic.”
In our modern world, we have Islamic schools, Islamic banking, and other institutions based solely on Islamic principles. Thus, it is reasonable to assert that the establishment of the Iwo Islamic Market aligns with Islamic principles, and its designation as an “Islamic Market” is fully justified.
All is set for the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) God’s Men of Valour *(GMOV)* international headquarters, Economic Empowerment, Seminar and Trade Fair programme on Saturday.
It holds from 8am to 6pm at the Multipurpose Hall, University of Lagos, Akoka.
MFM General Overseer Dr Daniel Olukoya will declare the seminar / trade fair with the theme ” “Innovative and successful businesses in today’s world” open.
The aim is to bring collection of bright minds and most innovative companies under one roof to enhance business growth, provide network opportunities, educate and empower small scale businesses by interacting with the best professionals from different industries.
According to the GMOV Global Chairman, Pastor Kunle Adesanya, it is an avenue for the church to impact positively on the members in terms of enriching their business acumen, exposing them to current trends in today’s business world as well as creating a platform for people to showcase their goods, products and services.
Adesanya also said the programme, which is an initiative of Olukoya is for men, women, and youths.
There will be a keynote address on the topic Kingdom business by the Vice Chancellor, Mountain Top University, Professor Elijah Ayolabi.
This will be followed by two lectures.
The first lecture is titled Strategies for successful business in today’s world by Mr Oscar Macaulay
MD/CEO McDaniel Personal Care Limited while the second is titled Maximizing your business potential by Pastor (Mrs) Nike Faseun.
The birth of Kingdom International Outreach: A new model for evangelism
At the core of Evang Junior’s mission lies the creation of an organization called Kingdom International Outreach. This platform is not just another evangelistic organization but a structure built to support churches in their evangelism efforts worldwide, especially in hard-reach countries.
According to Evang Junior, “Evangelism is a lifeline, and we see it in all the churches. We want to emphasize in this new book that evangelism is a lifestyle. It’s not something we do occasionally; it’s who we are.”
The essence of KIVI lies in its strategic approach to partnering with other organizations. Though many evangelism groups exist, Junior stresses the importance of careful collaboration. “We can’t bring everything in,” he explains. “There are a thousand and one evangelism organizations right now. We have to sit down and see how we can partner and benefit from one another.”
Junior’s approach to evangelism is holistic, believing that the lifestyle of evangelism should be as natural as breathing for Christians. “Anywhere you find anybody, tell them about Jesus Christ,” he advises.
For him, this isn’t just a theoretical teaching but a practical way of life.
This movement, according to Evangelist Junior, isn’t just about the physical expansion of the church or material blessings, but about realigning the church’s purpose to advance the Kingdom of God. “Nigeria will benefit,” he explains, “because we will drive the purpose for which Jesus came: to save the world.”
Drawing from the story of a friend who built a lavish house but hardly used it, Evangelist Junior challenges the notion that material success equates to spiritual fulfillment. “You built a house, but how many times have you used it? Once a year? Twice? We are going to stand before God, not to display our wealth, but to account for how we stewarded His blessings,” he warns.
For Evangelist Junior, everything—every possession, every talent—is meant to serve God’s kingdom. “When we talk about evangelism and mission, people think it’s just for pastors and prophets. No! Every Christian has something God has given them to advance the Kingdom.”
Spreading the gospel at great risk
Evang Junior’s mission work is not confined to the comfort of familiar territories. His travels to countries like Libya, Bangladesh, and Pakistan—places where Christianity is often met with resistance and hostility—showcase his dedication to his faith. Recounting his time in Bangladesh, where he served as a diplomat, Junior speaks of the personal risk he faced in preaching the gospel. “Bangladesh is 96% Muslim. Once they know you are a Christian, your head can be chopped off,” he recalls. Yet, this didn’t deter him. Despite the security restrictions for diplomats, he ventured outside the safety of his post to share Christ’s message with locals.
Junior’s story about a Muslim village he visited reveals the extent of his faith. Invited by a local to pray for a deceased woman with people around gathering to mourn the dead, he took the risk, knowing that revealing his faith could cost him his life. “I couldn’t pray out loud. I was full of fear,” he admitted. “I later remember l could speak in tongues to communicate to heaven”. But as he prayed in tongues, something miraculous happened—the woman sneezed and was brought back to life. “Residents in the community started calling me to pray for them. Men and women with all kinds of ailments were prayed for and God indeed glorified himself.
“When you are available for God, God will use you. Just be available,” he says, humbly acknowledging that it was not his own power but God working through him.
Need for unity in the body of Christ
Throughout his global mission work, Junior consistently emphasizes the importance of unity within the Christian community. “For us to be able to achieve more, we need to unite,” he says.
Drawing from his 45 years in the United Kingdom, he expresses concern over the division he has witnessed among churches. “Not uniting is causing a lot of problems. In the UK, churches are being bought by other religions,” he observes, lamenting the loss of Christian influence in a country that once spearheaded global evangelism.
His message is clear: the body of Christ must work together, transcending individual church agendas, to fulfill the Great Commission. “We need the unity of the body of Christ,” he asserts, pointing out that only through collective effort can believers make a meaningful impact.
Revival and the call to sacrifice
One of the central themes of Evang Junior’s work is the idea of revival—both in its historical and present-day forms.
He draws parallels between the revivals that spread Christianity across the globe and the sacrifices made by early missionaries. “When revival hit the UK, they propagated the gospel all over the world. They carried it to Africa, even though many died from malaria. 80% of missionaries were expected to die, but they still went.”
This same sacrificial spirit is what Junior believes is necessary for today’s evangelists. “Christianity is not about being comfortable. It’s about being ready to die for what you believe in,” he explains.
His own willingness to face death, not just in Bangladesh but in every mission field he steps into, is a profound example of this belief.
As a father of four daughters, he shares the deeply personal moment when he explained his mission to his children, telling them that he might not return from one of his dangerous trips. “I told my daughters, “If I die, I die well. Don’t cry for me.’ Every one of us will have to die one day. I gave them three hymns for them to sing at my funeral.
“I told them that nobody should weep for me because God knows about it. “We are still here because God wants us to fulfill his purpose. When we have done all that he wants us to do. He will call us home.
“I became emotional when my daughter asked me as l was leaving the house. ‘Dad, can you remind us of the hymns you told us to sing if you did not come back?’ Tears dropped out of my eyes. I am ready to die for the sake of the gospel.”
His courage is rooted in the conviction that life is to be lived for Christ, and death when it comes, is gain.
Call to the next generation
Despite his extensive work across continents, Evang Junior is not content with past achievements. He is deeply invested in raising the next generation of evangelists.
His current efforts in America are focused on gathering young people from different states and teaching them about the Great Commission. “There has been a lot of error in the past in the church, and we need to look at a way of focusing back on what matters,” he says, stressing that the future of Christianity depends on these young leaders understanding the true essence of the gospel.
In his view, the focus of every believer must be on souls, not on personal gain or the comforts of life. As he often references, Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin in Luke 15 serve as reminders that every soul is precious and worth the search.
The simplicity of evangelism
Evang Junior’s life and work stand as a powerful example of what it means to live for the gospel. Whether he is teaching church leaders through CFS, risking his life in Muslim-majority countries, or mentoring the next generation, his mission remains the same: to share Christ with the world. “What God is looking for is who is going to be available,” he says, urging believers to step out in faith, no matter the cost.
In a world where many are distracted by material pursuits, Evang Junior’s life reminds us that the heart of Christianity lies in the simple yet profound act of evangelism—the lifeline of the church and the heartbeat of every true believer.
