Draft:Missionaries in Lagos

Missionary activities in Lagos cut across social and political sectors. The primary activity of the missionaries in Lagos was the introduction of the Abrahamic faiths and the conversion of the indigenous population to these new faiths. Lagos was smaller in terms of Yoruba traditional beliefs, compared to other Yoruba towns such as Ife, Oyo, Abeokuta, and Ado Ekiti. It was home to worshippers of Olokun. The roles of the missionaries in Lagos played out in the 1851 power struggle between Oba Akitoye and Oba Kosoko (during which Oba Kosoko was ousted) and the nineteenth-century political crisis. Beyond their religious and political activities, the missionaries were involved in social activities, including teaching the people a Western education. In other words, Western education, Islam and Christianity were new to the Lagosians until contact with the missionaries.

Muslim missionaries in Lagos

Muslim missionaries from the northern part of "Nigeria" visited Lagos and preached the religion to the people. Some of these missionaries had only embarked on a journey before finally settling in Lagos. One of such missionaries was Umar Dodo, who had earlier set out to buy books in Lagos, but eventually settled down in Ebute-Metta. Later on, Islamic organisations and sects, such as the Ahmadiyyah, entered the Lagos scene, advancing the Islamic religious activities. Also, the emergence of the Saros (slave returnees from Sierra Leone) and the Amaros (slave returnees from the New Worlds) further enhanced the Muslim population in Lagos. Prominent among the Saro Muslims were families of the Cole, Martin, William, and Tinubu. As they gained more converts, including members of the royal family, they became tolerated and emboldened by the Lagos kings. Oba Adele Ajosun and his successor, Osinlokun, are some of the Lagos sings who embraced the missionaries.

Christian missionaries in Lagos

Although Christian missionaries have been present in "Nigeria", especially Benin, as early as the 15th century, their presence in Lagos only became noticeable in the nineteenth century through the influx of slave returnees from Sierra Leone and Brazil. Slavery was abolished in Britain in 1807, and by 1833, it had been abolished in most of its colonies through the Slavery Abolition Act. Many of the freed slaves found their way to Lagos and Abeokuta. They came in with a new ideology (mostly Christianity) that they had been exposed to in the foreign terrain. As Lagos grew in population, more missionaries, mainly Anglican and the Methodists, trooped in from Badagry and Abeokuta. They built parishes as they gained new converts. According to T.G.O. Gbadamosi, parishes were established in various parts of the city, including St. Paul's, at Breadfruit; Holy Trinity, at Ebute Ero; St. John's, at Aroloya; St. Peter's, at Ita Faji; and St. Jude's, at Ebute-Metta. During this period, the activities of the Roman Catholics were prominent.

Educational activities

Both Muslim and Christian missionaries established educational footprints in Lagos. The Christian missionaries, especially, were said to have introduced Western education in the city. This was because they needed the people to understand the bible and, by extension, the religion's tenets. The Church Missionary Society (CMS) was the most successful in providing some forms of Western education in Lagos. These efforts soon birthed religious rivalry between the two Abrahamic religions, as the Muslims suspected, as much as it was, an attempt by Christians to convert the Muslim boys and girls who were enrolled in their schools. Thus, the Muslims withdrew their children from the Christian schools, but were soon persuaded by the colonial government, which feared that the city's development would be stalled. Consequently, a Government Muslim School was established on 1 June 1896, where the Muslims combined the Islamic education with the Western education. Although financed by the colonial government, the school was managed by the Muslim community. Some of these missionary schools have survived over time, doubling as the first established schools in Nigeria.

Political activities

Aside from spreading the religion and teaching people the Western education, the early missionaries also influenced Lagos politics. After successfully penetrating the people and some of the key traditional rulers, the missionaries acquired more enabling policies that aided their settlements and foothold in the city. As earlier stated, prominent figures such as Oba Adele, Oba Osinlokun, Oba Kosoko, and Oshodi (Kosoko's prominent aide) were either practising Islam or lenient towards the Muslim faithful. According to Professor Gbadamosi, the Islamic factor (the unprecedented tolerance showered on the Muslims) was influential in the expulsion of Oba Adele from the palace during the first period of his reign. Moreover, the muslims became so involved in Lagos politics that a substantial number of them followed Kosoko into exile in Epe in 1851 after being ousted by the forces of his contender, Akitoye. Upon their return to Lagos, a decade later, the Muslims acquired a new settlement called Epetedo, where they established themselves. However, a major involvement of the Muslims in Lagos politics was in the 20th century during the water rate crisis.

Although our focus is on the Muslim community's participation in the issue, it is important to provide a little background. In 1916, the colonial government introduced the Water Rate Tax, following the establishment of pipe-borne and treated water to ameliorate the effects of the traditional water system on the people's health. This was met with criticism and resistance by the people, including the muslim community, who thought that the colonial government had to fund what it considered necessary. At first, the Muslim community cooperated on the issue of the water tax; they soon developed different stances about it. While the Imam Braimoh-led faction seemed to be pro-government, there emerged the Jamat, who shared in the people's sentiment. These activities later facilitated the intervention of the colonial government in the Central Mosque Crisis afterwards.

The Christian missionaries were also influential in Lagos politics. They have been criticised as agents of and backed by colonialism. This soon turned out to be a mixed blessing. While they enjoyed the support of the colonial government, they often clashed over politico-religious interests. Through their educational activities, the Christian missionaries produced some of the earliest nationalists who fought for Nigeria’s independence.

References

Category:History Category:Religion Category:Lagos State Category:Nigeria