According to UK Guardian’s report, Nigerian
Prophet T.B. Joshua’s popularity exceeds even
that of famous London landmarks
Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London.
According to the report by The Guardian’s
West African correspondent Monica Mark, “In
Africa’s largest metropolis, the district of
Ikotun Egbe has turned into a boom town. The draw? Temitope Balogun Joshua, one of
Nigeria’s richest “super-pastors”, whose
church attracts 50,000 worshippers weekly –
more than the combined number of visitors to
Buckingham Palace and the Tower of
London.” The article titled, ‘Lagos businesses cash in on
lure of super-pastor TB Joshua,’ chronicles the
enterprising antics of local businessmen and
hoteliers who are utilising Joshua’s popularity
and the scores of foreign worshippers flocking
weekly to The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). According to the Guardian, “Sparkling new
hotels rise incongruously among the shacks.
At one, a new chef has recently been
employed. ‘He can cook food from Singapore,
because we were having a lot of guests from
there who struggle with Nigerian food,’ says the manager, Ruky, at a reception desk framed
by pictures of Joshua.” Last month, Nigeria’s Punch Newspaper
similarly reported the rise in business around
Ikotun-Egbe, courtesy of The SCOAN’s unique
services. The article, titled, ‘TB Joshua’s
neighbours convert homes to hotels’,
explained how homeowners close to the church were leaving the vicinity in droves to
live elsewhere while renting out their houses
to foreign visitors. According to the reports, international calling
centres with foreign visitor discounts are also
doing a roaring trade, alongside plastic chair
rentals that cater for church overspill. The SCOAN has been hailed for its impact on
Nigerian tourism, recent statistics from the
Nigerian Immigration Service revealing that
out of every ten foreign travellers coming into
Nigeria, six of them are bound for The SCOAN.
Prophet T.B. Joshua’s popularity exceeds even
that of famous London landmarks
Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London.
According to the report by The Guardian’s
West African correspondent Monica Mark, “In
Africa’s largest metropolis, the district of
Ikotun Egbe has turned into a boom town. The draw? Temitope Balogun Joshua, one of
Nigeria’s richest “super-pastors”, whose
church attracts 50,000 worshippers weekly –
more than the combined number of visitors to
Buckingham Palace and the Tower of
London.” The article titled, ‘Lagos businesses cash in on
lure of super-pastor TB Joshua,’ chronicles the
enterprising antics of local businessmen and
hoteliers who are utilising Joshua’s popularity
and the scores of foreign worshippers flocking
weekly to The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN). According to the Guardian, “Sparkling new
hotels rise incongruously among the shacks.
At one, a new chef has recently been
employed. ‘He can cook food from Singapore,
because we were having a lot of guests from
there who struggle with Nigerian food,’ says the manager, Ruky, at a reception desk framed
by pictures of Joshua.” Last month, Nigeria’s Punch Newspaper
similarly reported the rise in business around
Ikotun-Egbe, courtesy of The SCOAN’s unique
services. The article, titled, ‘TB Joshua’s
neighbours convert homes to hotels’,
explained how homeowners close to the church were leaving the vicinity in droves to
live elsewhere while renting out their houses
to foreign visitors. According to the reports, international calling
centres with foreign visitor discounts are also
doing a roaring trade, alongside plastic chair
rentals that cater for church overspill. The SCOAN has been hailed for its impact on
Nigerian tourism, recent statistics from the
Nigerian Immigration Service revealing that
out of every ten foreign travellers coming into
Nigeria, six of them are bound for The SCOAN.
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