If there is one thing that has worked in the Nigerian Diaspora, it’s the Nigerian
Churches. No matter the denominations or branches that open, you will find
Nigerians congregating there. Many reports state African churches opened
their doors in London from the 1960s, followed by a second wave in the 1980s
and today around 250 black majority churches are believed to operate in the
borough of Southwark, where 16 percent of the population identifies as having
African ethnicity.
What an opportunity this is considering the working patterns in the UK
Nigerian diaspora which make time a very precious commodity. The church
hours are the only one that Nigerians in the UK diaspora really dedicate time
to. The churches can help contribute to community development by also
utilising this time for positive community connections.
Children excelling, women and men excelling etc in the community can be
recognised in the church. The point is the church has to devise very practical
ways of engaging with the community. This is the only place that offers
Nigerians a bigger part of our culture in a respectable sense. Anyone traveling
around south London on a Sunday morning will see worshippers, often dressed
in dazzlingly coloured African clothes, making their way to churches, each with
their different styles of worship. All the culture, language, fashion, mannerism,
food, relationships guidance is present in the church every Sunday and so are
the children, parents, mum and dad. Real things that we know, whether its
knife crime, old person dying, women promotion, women empowerment must
be brought to the church. The good thing is that we have a good base. The
Nigerian Churches must develop the community connection for maximum
results all round.
