Abstract
The paper discusses the strategies and approaches adopted by the Christian missionaries along the Nigerian and Niger Republic border to influence and convert the people to accept the religion. The Christian missionaries introduced different socio-economic activities and sometimes political diplomacy to influence the mental and moral behavior of the people. The missionaries saw themselves as light to the society through civilization and western education; they marked themselves as superior through widespread of western literacy, modern hygiene, firearms, crops, shoes, clothing, canned goods, bicycles, compasses and lamps. Along the Nigeria-Niger border, certain economic incentives were used by the missionaries to attracts new converts. The missions also developed certain teaching techniques as learning procedures to train converts to imbibe commercial character to obtain income and sustain their life. The paper investigates what these strategies are and how they facilitate the evangelization process of the Nigeria-Niger border communities.
Key Words: Christianity, Evangelization, Nigeria, Niger, Border Communities
DOI: 10.36349/sokotojh.2022.v11i01.007
CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AMONG NIGERIA-NIGER BORDER COMMUNITIES: STRATEGIES AND METHODS
Mustapha Idris Sarka
Department of History
Adamu Augie College of Education, Argungu
Abstract
The paper discusses the strategies and approaches adopted by the
Christian missionaries along the Nigerian
and Niger Republic border to influence and convert the people to accept the
religion. The Christian missionaries introduced different socio-economic activities and sometimes
political diplomacy to influence the mental and moral behavior
of the people. The missionaries saw themselves as light to the society
through civilization and western education; they marked themselves as superior through widespread
of western literacy, modern hygiene, firearms, crops, shoes, clothing, canned goods, bicycles, compasses and lamps.
Along the Nigeria-Niger border, certain
economic incentives were used by the missionaries to attracts new converts. The
missions also developed certain
teaching techniques as learning procedures to train converts to imbibe commercial character to obtain income and
sustain their life. The paper investigates what these strategies are and how they facilitate the evangelization process
of the Nigeria-Niger border communities.
Key Words: Christianity, Evangelization, Nigeria, Niger, Border Communities
Background to Christian Missions along Nigeria-Niger Border
The Missionary societies arrived in Nigeria with hopes of converting the whole people to Christianity. However, in the 19th
century, they changed their intentions to convert the vast Muslim Emirates to Christianity. They therefore
engage in different socio-economic and political services to convince people to accept Christianity.
To influence people, they adopted various strategies like provision of education, medical or
healthcare services, charity and welfare services like provision of social
activities, food, money motorcycles, etc. When the Christian missionaries realized the difficulty in the realization of their
aims in the Muslim North, different missionary organizations adopted different methods to spread the
gospel so as to obtained converts. The mission use charity, humanitarian aids, schools, hospitals,
public preaching, and distribution of reading material and pamphlets containing pictures.1
Currently the missions use modern social media platforms and modern Radios station (F.M Radio, national
radio stations, States Radio stations, international radio, Androids Mobile Phone Applications etc) to spread messages of the gospel.
The
missionaries came with the intention of converting people of Northern Nigerian
and Niger republic to Christianity
through proper planned and projected aims of medical assistance, education, material and non-material items like
skills of farming, cattle rearing, money, clothes can drinks like milk, beans etc. the good characters of the mission
changed their image in the eyes of Muslims and
![]() |
1
M.U.Bunza & S.U. Junaidu, Christian
Missionary Activities in Sokoto
State: An Evaluation of their Impact on the Development of Western Education, The BEAM, Journal of Arts and Science, Vol.2
No.1, Haliru Binji College of Arts and Science, Sokoto, 1999,
p.25.
people of
African traditional religion, yet Christianity and mission commitment did not
yield much result despite the
missionaries efforts of rejection material
lives in Europe and stalled in the remote border
villages to preach the gospel despite the danger, they sacrifice their lives to
the spread of Christianity, their
aims were to converts people as born
again Christian along the border, but the Christian
missions produced little success. The
Christian mission have in their mind that failure to convert or succeed
is not only their efforts but God‘s will and intervention, the mission desire to change
people‘s hearts from Islam and African traditional religion to belief in Jesus
Christ yield low result but some mission hold that ―ours is to saw the seed, His to make it grow‖.2 Therefore their
role is to evangelize the people but conversion is the work of God.
Evangelism in
Niger Republic border involved the same steps and procedure with little
differences in the approach as in
Nigerian borderland. In all areas
Bible were used to preach the gospel to people
and convince the listeners. The
Christian missions held services and preach to people in local languages. Christianity sometimes makes its converts to
adopt new attitude, customs, and even native
dress was partially changed in Niger republic border but in
Nigeria changes were little, people
still retain their cultural dress and language (border communities). You may
see a Reverend father wearing
Hausa fabric with cap looking
like a Muslim, and sometimes
may do Islamic greetings (salama). The Christian missions also
developed and teach the converts the commercial character to obtain income and sustain their life. They
introduced a highly centralized customs and social organization like that of Europe.3
Christian Missions
occupy a specially privileged position, the border Christian missions personal
of Nigeria consist of Western, native
and non-native Christian missions and as such they depend on the government permission through
application to the District officer who will ascertain whether the people were desirous to have mission among
them or hostile to it. But sometimes it happened without the consent of people their chief
may welcome and accept the missionary.4 In Niger republic the western missionaries as of
2020 are more than 10 in border areas, with native or indigenous pastors holding the leadership position of the
churches under the supervision of the European
missions. According to Burt they left Nigeria because there are educated people
to handle the evangelization in
Nigeria but in Niger republic the Christian are very few therefore they need guidance.5
Christian Mission and Use of Modern Technology
The missions
of both Nigeria and Niger republic observed impacts of the use of modern technology as the new strategy for the spread of
Christianity along the border. The missions developed and trust in the power of technology for the
spread of the Gospel. For instance Sudan Interior Mission (S.I.M) used modern technology, literature and radio stations to evangelize and inform people about Christianity. Numerous publications and
printed paper work were made available for the people to read, publications like The Sudan Witness, which shows the
images, success and failures of the Christianization
missions on printed materials and distributed to the people to know the trends
of the mission and their impact
to the population. The missions
use the Sudan
witness to convey the
![]() |
2
Mr. Burt ,SIM Western Missionary , Junju,
3
L.F.Lugard The Dual Mandate
in British Tropical
Africa, Routledge, London,1965, p79 4 Ibid. p.342-343
5
Oral Interview, Mr. Burt White mission in Junju.
message of the mission
conditions in Africa.
Photography were use as an instrument in the preaching process, missionaries showed
Africans photos that had been published in magazines and newspapers and then transitioned
to biblically–based photos and posters to convey the gospel.6
In early 1893,
Gawons went to Toronto , England and Scotland to try and raise money for
African mission.7 In
1904-1911, Bingham renamed the Evangelical Christian he established Evangelical Publishers which printed a steady stream
of devotional books, he also took over the SIM‘ African Publisher and Niger Press established by Benfield (Linguist).8
The SIM occupied a unique place on the area of
using modern technology to spread
gospel.
Media- the growing of media and smart
phones has brought easy way of spreading the gospel. The missions transmit their programs easily to the public which were
accessed by the youth and elders. For
instance, Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) established magazines known
as Today‘s challenge (TC) in which it pass vital information to the people and it members through careful use of
the printed materials. The introduction of social media platforms made the
Christian to adopt the modern system
by engaging the use of laptops and android mobile phones to send the gospel message through facebook, F.M radio
programs, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc. the recent development of the media programs have favorably help in the
spread of the missions to reach business communities, Muslims, civil servants, educators at their leisure time.9etc
The magazines
like Sudan Witness serves as a door through which information on conversions
and experience of the missions in
various areas were shared. The missionaries wrote stories about their experiences in proselytizing process and
collective efforts of the mission towards conversion. In Niger republic
the local church denomination emerged
from SIMs work under auspicious circumstances.10 In 1912, the missionaries under
Bingham established Evangelical publishers to
publish periodical, books, and pamphlets that were used as instrument of
the spread of gospel.i.e the missionary
Witness in 1909 which treated the story of the Sudan Interior Mission, the
Burden of the Sudan, The story of
the Sudan Interior Mission, seven sevens of the years. etc.
The African
Challenge helps the Western educated youth with methods to confront communism
and materialism after the World War
II. The SIM published 5,000 copies of African challenge in its maiden issue of July 1951 but within two years the mission
double the production by producing 120, 000 copies in a month.
The SIM formed a university denomination and para-church
![]() |
6
Barnes Transforming African‘s
religious landscape. P25.
7
Toronto Bible Training School was established to spread and teach
several prospective missionaries well train young
people (male and female) for missionary evangelic work. Latter Toronto Bible College was owned and operated by Rev. Elmore Harris , a wealthy
Baptist minister, and a member of the Massey-Harris farm implement company, he build and pay two churches and
endowed the Baptist seminary. Toronto becomes one of the great missionary-sending centers of the world, the ―Faithful Witness‖ called it the ―missionary Capital of the World‖. It was
the largest multinational, interdenominational faith mission founded and based
in Canada. It graduated more than two Hundred missionaries in two years and it became center of conservative evangelicals of different
denominations (South Africa General
Mission, Scripture Gift Mission).
8
Alvyn Austin Toronto the Good‖: The Canadian roots of the Sudan
Interior Mission in Transforming Africa‘s Religious landscapes. P41.
9
Ibid.
10
A. Mahamane,―History and Challenges of the
Evangelical Church in Niger, 1923-1013: The Case of the Evangelic Church of the Republic
of Niger (EERN)‖Babara M. Cooper, et
al (ed) in Transforming Africa‟s Religious Landscapes: The Sudan Interior Mission Past and Present, London, Africa World Press, 2018.
organization.
SIMs first Challenge study centre led to formation of Good News Bible Church. Bingham
in
1904
took
over
the
―Faithful witness‖ and later
it
was renamed
the
Evangelical
Christian in 1911. Later Evangelical
Publishers that printed a steady stream of devotional
books took over from the SIMs African Publishers, Niger Press in 1917.11
With the
establishment of modern Radio Stations and Android mobile phones, programs were expanded along the border so as to reach
people with gospel. The F.M radio stations were funding from the United States to broadcast the mission programs on air
to the people. There were powerful programs
that covered some of the West African nations. The transmitting and
broadcasting will go over 200 miles and it takes more than 300 hours
program per week.
The radio stations
were religious stations that
provided the great relationship between the missions and government. The Christian missions were licensed of
transmission; they met the government and discuss issues of security and other matters. In Niger
republic F.M Redio Guesheme, Maradi etc air programs on Christianity just like any F.M Radio in Nigeria. Many radio stations and F.M radio program
were established along Nigeria-Niger
borderland, that aired programs of missions i.e back to the Bible, thinking through the Bible, etc., the F.M
Radio in Nigerian sides includes Sokoto caliphate F.M, Vision FM,Rima FM, Royal FM, and Freedom FM radio, in Kebbi the
missions uses equity F.M, Kebbi State
Radio, in Katsina Radio Nigeria
FM,Pay power FM, Katsina,Vision FM etc.12 The training of the missions and conference led to the advancement
of the programs, especially with involvement
of religious leaders into politics as special advisers on the religious
affairs, for instance in both Nigeria and Niger Republic the
missions were advised not discuss sensitive issues that will not led
to political crisis and
marginalization.13
Humanitarian Services and Education as a Strategies of conversion along the Border
The Christian
mission adopt the humanitarian services as a mean through which they can
influenced the large number of
border people to Christianity, the
mission adopted kindness and care for the human
dignity through financial assistance, provision of can foods and soft drinks, cloth, jobs and free medical services in Northern Nigeria
and Niger Republic. Although some of the early converts along the border were convinced through charity like Malam Kaka
of Kangiwa, Rev. Shuaibu Kanu Fingilla,
in the case of Malam Kaka who lives in Kangiwa along Nigeria-Niger border of
Kebbi- Dosso, he was attracted
and converted many people to Christianity because
of their charity,
kindness and treatments they offered, he made mention
that ― mishin a kwai Kirki‖ meaning
they are generous people. 14
In Niger
Republic, the people of the border communities were converted due to economic
gain and social status. The young men
and women acknowledge the social life of the mission which attracted their minds and converted to Christianity.
The mission zeal and intentions were to educated people on western education and better social life. The idea of spread of western education
is for the people to read the Bible,
the missionaries offered free education, books, writing materials, feeding, special gifts of drinks and carne food
from Europe and America to attract and influence the minds
of
![]() |
11
Jim Mason, Literature
Outreach in Nigeria:
A History of SIM
literature Work, 1901-1980, Scarborough, Canada, 2009,
pp12-13. See also Alvyn Austin
in Transforming African‟s
Religious Landscape.p43.
12
Ibid.
13
Cooper, B., ―Engendering A
Hausa Vernacular Christian practice,‖,
Haour A. and Rossi B (ed)
. in
Being
and Becoming
Hausa, interdisciplinary perspectives,
African Social Studies series, 2010,
14
Interview Malam Kaka Kangiwa 76 Years, Kangiwa
,Kebbi State.
pupils. The school obviously
helps towards conversion without serious obstacles
from the public,
the people are less suspicious and less concern of what is being taught in school than in Church. ―If we go from town to town talking only
about God, we know by experience that much of our efforts bring no result, but no one is opposed to
school.15 In Nigerian
borderland of Kebbi, Sokoto and Katsina
people were opposed to schooling in mission schools due to existence of Islamiya schools that was one of the reasons why government schools were rejected
let alone mission schools except few sons of
chiefs, government employees
and sons of converts. People like Mamman Illela, Matankari of Sokoto, were among the early
converts influenced as a result of mission school, and their children were also educated in mission schools and they
become Pastors.16
Christian Mission schools played important roles and served as a meeting centre for the spread of the
Gospel to children, because the schools were attended by both Muslims and
children of the Christian converts.
In many cases the school children were influenced with gifts, pictures, Cinema show and other materials that children can
hardly reject. Among the border of Nigeria in Argungu Emirate (Arewa-Dandi Local government area of Kebbi State) four
students were converted and send over
Border to Niger Republic (Galmi) to further their studies on mission schools,
they are Alhaji Sumana Yeldu,Dan Rabi
Kangiwa,Momo Gagara, John Bello from Kamba with aim of spreading Gospel to their respective localities(Border areas), most of the schools are now demolished and renamed like the case
of Babbar Rugga of Katsina
state, Kangiwa, Kamba, etc.17
Hausa Bible was translated
by Dr. Walter Miller of the CMS and Stirrett
in 1932. Stirret called for
100 Bible teachers to teach literacy,
the students produced
from the mission
schools become evangelist by emulating Muslim methods
of evangelizations. From 1920 upwards several societies including SIM had officially carried widespread of the Gospel in
to the border area. The education policies
of the Christian Mission give greater responsibility on the education for
religious purposes, than literacy to
population. The aim of the missionary societies is to establish school along
the border as an instrument for
making converts; to other people view them as instruments for making good and useful citizens.18 The Christian mission
plans was first to master the language,
for informal preaching of
the gospel to peoples in wider world with hidden agenda of conversion. The existence
of quranic educational background of people along border areas in Arabic and
Ajami form of writing Hausa made people to put
suspicion towards missionary work.19
The education
giving by the missions were not fully on all areas like technology, but they concentrated on knowledge to read the
Bible, Stirret explain that ― care must
be exercise not to introduced
subjects on the curriculum other than reading the Bible and writing, because if
subjects such as English, Mathematics, Commercial Arithmetic, Book-keeping and other worldly
arts and
![]() |
15
Bunza, M.U., Christian
Missions among Muslims: Sokoto Province,
Nigeria, 1935-1990,Africa World press,USA,2007,p. 43, see also,
F.K.Ekechi, Missionary Enterprise and Rivalry in Igboland, 1971,p176.
16
Ibid
17
Oral Interview, Malam Kaka Kangiwa,
2013, Kangiwa at his residence.
18
Carr, H., Special Annual
Report on the Schools in Southern Provinces of Nigeria, see in O.U.Kalu, Church Unity and Religious Change in Africa, (eds)
F.Edwards et, al, Christianity in Independent Africa, London,Rex Collings, 1978, p179.
19
The missions developed the ideas of learning different languages so as
to translate the bible into the languages for
easy spread of the gospel.
The missions tried to prepare
publications in colloquil Arabic and Hausa with hope that Christian literature will find
it way into Muslim areas.
science are
taught they become a source of temptation to the pupil to enter Government
Service receive a lucrative position
and often to spend his substance on riotous living… As soon as a young man has been taught to read his Hausa
Bible fluently and write, let him go.20 Christian Missions created centers of education in both
Nigeria and Niger like Igbaja, Egbe,Kagoro, Kwoi, Kaltungo, Billiri,Omu Aran, etc. the Missions
commitments to educations was only needed for
evangelism and its
pre-millennial theology, they think evangelist need no extensive education but
education to read the Bible. It may
be correct to say Missions was anti lslam in Hausaland. For instance, in Niger Republic schools were established in
every area of missionary influence like what happened in Nigeria, schools like Roni outside Kano, Yawuri in Kebbi state, Charles clarify the statement ―we have more converted Moslems in school
than in any other place in the north that I know of.‖21 Converts would meet for worship, they were
encouraged to discard their manners and change their mode of living, the natives easily dropped their traditional way
of live and adopted the Europeans culture
like dress, foods., ceremonies etc in Niger republic such mission schools and
hospitals were established in
colonial and post colonial period in almost all the mission station. i.e Maradi
have 5 primary and secondary mission schools.
In order to
accomplish the missionaries work
along the border since the interior refused to accept the mission education, the first school established by the mission
along Nigerian-Niger border is Argungu
Emirate in 1930s was in (Kangiwa)
Kukar Tunkara Unguwar Mato, Bui, Yeldu, Sokoto, Katsina mission schools was established in the areas. But in Niger Republic many
parents and their children were converted through
establishment of mission
schools in areas of Gyasheme, and Maradi. The
school obviously not the church or preaching provides more converts apart from medical services in leprosy centers.22
The missionaries began to see education as a means through which many people especially along the
border may accept the religion. Christian Missions made a lot of
efforts to introduced western education in Niger Republic so that people can be able to read the Bible. The establishment of mission schools
in Maradi, Tsibiri,
Zinder, Guescheme, etc influence western
civilization in the areas of mission stations,
therefore, western education
influenced people more than any other means, one could argue that without
the introduction of Western Education
by the Christian mission in Niger Republic along the border areas there will be no Christianity. Provision of education
was next to medical services in influencing and execution of mission agenda. To be high level Christian
you must go through the school, attend services on Sunday, learned to recite and memorized Bible verses, pay leaves
each month, attend meeting, prepare for the baptism to become a good Christian.23
Reading Bible
is the most important thing in Christian religion. Therefore converts need to
learn reading the Bible in English
and indigenous languages and the mission take the responsibility of learning the local languages and
translating the bible into the local languages with short stories that will influence the people to Christianity like Daga Kiwon Shanu
Zuwa Kiwon Jama‟ar
Allah,24,
![]() |
20
Turaki Y, An introduction to the History of SIM/ECWA 138.
21
C.F.Beitzel, An industrial Boarding
School,TSW 22,1, 1946,PP.5-7.
22
M.I.Sarka, A History of Christian Missionary Activities in Argungu
Emirate from 1939-2018, M.A Dissertation, Usmanu Danfodiyo, University, Sokoto,p.12.
23
Interview Pastor Musa Gubawa, 56 years,
24
E.Doerkkson, Daga Kiwon Shanu Zuwa Kiwon Jama,ar Allah:
Labarin Adamu Dogon Yaro,Challenge Publication 1974, re-printed by SIM
in 2006.
Zuma littafi na Farko,25 and Zuma Littafi na Biyu,26and Isa ko Muhamadu ga wa zaku dogara27,Isah ko
Muhammadu, Koyarwa ga masu bidan Tafarki,.28 These types of
literature and books were written in
western education and for youto understand the contents you must go to schools
and learn the arts of reading and
writing. English and French were used along the border as a means of communication and teaching in Christian
mission schools with basic reading and writing skills together with agriculture and animal husbandry, unlike in Nigeria where there were no much agricultural lessons attached to mission education. ―Religion is the fundamental element in all true education‖ therefore the missionaries
were sent to preach and teach in outdoors then presenting letters and symbols. The students were
divided into grades and classes and according to sex in Nigeria, (the class for men and boys would be conducted by the
ministry and women and girls by wife
of the mission).
Zumuntar mata (Women Fellowship) meeting
is held after instruction has been made in schools in Niger republic junior
class is also held the same day with instruction. The missions in Niger republic observed that their affairs
will not succeed without some secular economic and agricultural activities in connection with literacy training.
Christian mission educations were give to the converts with the hope that they might
read the Bible, write and do simple arithmetic. When the government observed the mission ideas behind education,
government therefore collaborate with mission
in giving education to the people but the government restricted them not to
spread the Christianity and some
mission schools were upgraded
and become under the control of government.
The Christian
Missions introduce salary structure of the civil servants to maintain their educated mission‘s converts and uplift their
standard of living. Later private enterprises and government jobs were secured for them in State, National
and public sectors for the success of their work. Despite the colonial government restricted
establishment of Christian mission schools in the Muslim areas however, Christian mission schools were
established even in the Muslim Emirates of Katsina, Kano, Zamfara,Sokoto,Kebbi etc.29
And it become the most powerful tools and means of conversion, the mission believed that, Christianity was a
literate religion, and that it was necessary for the people to become literate so as to read and
understand the messages in the Bible, with this in mind people began to join the mission schools so that
to read the Bible. The mission trained the border
people and Christian converts to
become itinerant evangelist, preacher, interpreters, catechist and Bible teachers whom now become leaders and
Reverend Fathers of the various churches. The missions trained personals work in the local, federal and states civil
service. The schools served as the most important centre of learning and spread of the gospel
to the people of the borderland.30
The mission
realized that it would be less difficult to teach Christianity to children in
school than to preach to their elder generation in Northern Nigeria.
The missionaries therefore
introduced schools
![]() |
25
E.Burt, Zuma :Mu koyi Karatun Maganar
Allah Littafi na 1,SIM Equipe
Haussa, Niamey, 5005,
26. Burt,
Zuma :Mu koyi Karatun
Maganar Allah Littafi na 2,SIM Equipe
Haussa, Niamey, 5005,
27
Christian Literature Society,
London,1964,
28
Isah ko Muhammadu, Koyarwa ga masu bidan Tafarki,
29
SNP/K.5533/1.1 Note on Mission Schools
in Northern Provinces of Nigeria.
30
J.F.A.,Ajayi,‖ The development of secondary Grammar
School Education in Nigeria, Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria, vol.2,no.4, 1963,p.517.
where children
were taught religion
and western education.31 The Christian missionaries did not only introduce new religious faith but
also it changed the beliefs and life of millions of people through the foundation of western
education. The result was that it produced swarms of young people in mission and colonial
bureaucracy.32 In the mid-seventeenth century, the Christian
religion survived and maintained its
converts up to the nineteenth century, through western education giving to the
younger generations and the trends continued.
33
Health Care Services
as a Strategies of Conversion
The missionaries
provided the modern medical services to the patients free of charge as charity
and humanitarian services and as a
means of conversion to Christianity along the borders and interior of Nigeria and Niger Republic. The provision
of medical services started from the initial stage by the missionaries as to express their Christian
love in action. The Christian missions made it compulsory that in every group of missionaries there
must be medical doctor who will serve the Christian mission and local population with medical services. The
Christian mission dispensaries, hospitals and
leprosy settlements were established in different areas of the border as means of conversion, I,e people of Babbar Rugga Leprosy centre in
Katsina with about 500 inhabitants were converted to Christianity through medical services, likewise in Niger
republic the people of Danja of Maradi area
along the border of Niger Republic similar to that of Babar Rugga also
were converted through medical
services of the mission just like the case of Amanawa in sokoto and Kalgo in
Birnin Kebbi area.
Empirical
evidence shows that of all the methods used by the missionaries along the
border, to secure large number of
converts, Health medical service played the most significant role through the treatments of the lepers which was the
most dangerous diseases of that time. Before the introduction of the modern medical services, the
lepers were treated through the use of local herbs which shows little result, but when the mission show
much concern to the victims who were neglected, the mission show sympathy
to the victims they eat together with
them despite the isolation and anxiety. According to Former Headmaster of Babar Rugga Katsina mission school who
were also a products of the school
said ― we eat together , we pray
together and sometime we sleep together‖, with
this the mission trap they converted thousands of people to Christianity‖. He
further explained that the Christian
missionaries give sermons before and after treatment, and they attached the
cures to prayers not the drugs.34
The efficacy of the Christian mission medicine in treatments of various health issues made people of the border
Christian in town of Babbar Rugga,and Danja communities of the border
to accept Christianity. In most areas where Christianity made headway medical
services served as leading solutions for securing the converts despite
the pressures of the Native Authority
and colonial government.35
![]() |
31
Crampton, E.P.T., Christianity in Northern Nigeria, Zaria, Gaskiya corporation ltd, 1976.
32
O.U.Kalu, Church Unity and
Religious Change in Africa,
(eds), F.Edwards et, al, Christianity in Independent Africa,
London,Rex Collings, 1978, p179.
33
A.D.Yahaya, Christianity among the Gawu Community of Gurara local Government
Area Niger State 1937- 1999,M.A Dissertation Submitted to Postgraduate School, UDUS,
History,p.p56-59.
34
Interview Malam Halilu
Hassan Shinkafi, He is from Zamfara
who came to Babbar Rugga for leprosy treatments IN 1943 , he is the father
of current Secretary of Babbar rugga hospital former leprosy hospital.
35
Maman Illela,Garba Maradi
from Niger Republic
were among the early converts
as a result of medical
services.
The health
care challenges of the 19th and 20th centuries serve as a major reasons
for the colonial and Native
Authorities to sign agreements with the missions to establish Dispensaries,
Hospitals along with their stations,
the agreements discourage the use of leper settlements as evangelic centers, but the mission responded by saying ―they cannot prohibit any person among the Muslims who wished to attend Church services
either in their leper settlement or any other parts.36 The missionaries continued with their
proselytization despite the agreement, because
the aims of the missions of
establishing the health centers is
for religious teaching and influence to the lepers and people to Christianity, therefore the mission
ignore the warning
and continued with their proselytization in the areas37.
The mission‘s
efforts to evangelize at health centers were successful like the case of
Nigerian border areas of Babbar
Rugga (Katsina), Sokoto, Amanawa and other areas among the leprosy and eye patients but were less productive among
other patients. For instance at Galmi according to Newton Kapp in 1955, said there were several
genuine conversion at Galmi Hospital after four years of operation and many conversion
were not genuine, but from 1970-2020 many patients were treated on outpatients unlike previous years where the patients stayed in the caps for treatment and conversion
take place. At Maradi good numbers of people were converted to Christianity as
a result of the medical services of
leprosy and eye treatments. ―Of all the means of conversion the easiest way is the provision of medical services
rendered by the mission at pagan, and Muslim communities especially those that suffered isolation and stigmatization
they interact with those people without hatred or stigma.
The mission
transformed and empowered people who accepted the Christianity by giving
special assistance in form of cash
and kind.38 The youth involved in the process of proselytization
obtained appointments in both states
and federal government level. The evangelical missions like SIM , did not only give their converts a voice to
preach, they also intentionally gave them a political voice as well. They created an identity for their
converts.39 Except now a days Muslims were more educated, and their populations make them to emerge
more powerful in getting access to employment and political positions. The Hausa Christians have tried to unite under the umbrella of Tarayyar
Masihiyawan Nigeria (TASMANI) ,the Association of the Followers of
the Messiah in Nigeria (comprising Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri Christian) but the associations did not progress
much because Hausa Christian
do not quite agreed and get along with Fulani Christian and Christian in Middle Belt do not trust the Hausa Fulani.
It is for these reasons that the association of Masihiyawa movement and
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) will not work together in Nigerian
context. But in Nigeria all Christian
were bound together under one umbrella, they work together toward achieving
their goals despite their differences.
Public Preaching
as a Method of Evangelization
The Christian
missions were allowed from the initial stage to preach in public as a strategy.
The Christian missions introduced new
method for the spread of the gospel open air preaching, and teaching.
Women missionaries were allowed in both Nigeria
and Niger Republic
into compounds to
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36
E.W.Blyden, Islam, Christianity and Negro Races, IV., See also M.U.Bunza, Christian Missions Among
Muslima:Sokoto Province, 1935-1990.. p48.
37
E.P.T.Crapton, Christianity in Northern Nigeria, ..p.139.
38
Interview, Mani Habu 72 years, Katsina
Babbar Rugga.
39
M. H. Kukah, Religion,Politics
and Power in Northern Nigeria, Ibadan, Spectrum Publishers, 1993.
preach to
women in Purdah or Kulle. At the
initial stage they started in an open market place for Hausa Muslim men, Women, and children attended the open air
preaching, most probably due to the fascination of appearance of the white man who would have look different
later inter-rural community by their appearance and by the
preaching methods and their assistance to people in form of food and items.
The missionaries used to hold public preaching
sessions among the Muslims, the SIM field Director,
Mr. Playfair, launched a public preaching that was the first of its kind at
Dundaye, in July 1940 in an open
place with a public address system and distributed religious pamphlets. The
reports discourage further
public preaching in the area., the preaching
were sometimes extended
into markets and at night
when people return back from work, along the borders town like Illela, Kamba, Kangiwa, Bachaka, Jibiya, Katsina
40etc. Today, public preaching was done in Churches, F.M.Radio, and states own Radio stations.
The Woman fellowships (Zumuntar Mata),
Christian Corpers Associations (NYSC)
and youth organizations took the responsibilities of preaching tours into villages of the border like Unguwar
Mato in Arewa local government, Kamba, Katsina Babbar Rugga, they distribute a lot of materials like cloth, food, free
treatment, barbing and bathing of village
children. In Niger Republic it‘s not allowed for the people to start preaching
in public but rather preaching should
be done in mosque and churches except in the town of the border mission still preach in public. Preaching and
distribution of books, pamphlets which are produced in Hausa and Ajami form of writing Hausa become common in contemporary period for Christian
evangelization, the missionaries distribute the materials on the
streets, motor parks, markets, schools and
hospitals in Nigeria but in Niger its banned, therefore the preaching is done
only on pamphlets and in the
churches. Examples of those writings were sometimes published in Hausa, French, English or Arabic.
In initial
stage of the colonial conquest of Northern Nigeria, and establishment of
Christian mission stations in the borderlands
were not in supports by the Emirs, yet the missionaries act extensively towards spreading the gospel which is
their main target. The emirs were so conservative. Towards 1903, when Sokoto caliphate were conquered
some Emirs were happy to have missions in their domain, i.e the Emir
of Katsina and Niger republic
cooperated with the mission in the spread of
gospel in their areas, they served as protectors of colonial interest.
Like the case of Sarkin Katsina Muhammad Dikko and Sarkin Zaria.
One of the leading
traditional rulers that contributed towards
the establishment of mission in his area is Sarkin Katsina Muhammadu
Dikko who ruled from 1907-1944, Northern Nigeria had witnessed
significant changes especially in the areas of political administration as a
result of the colonial domination.
The Emirs served as British assistants because they served their interest and obey all their orders failure to comply
would result to depose.41 The Hausaland did not witness the missionaries until 1930s In Zinder of Niger Republic the Emir fight
seriously before finally he was overpowered and Church were established in Zinder which is still in existence.
Conclusion
40
M.U.Bunza, Op.cit
41
Tibenderana,PK.‖ The Emirs
and the spread of Western Education in Northern Nigeria, 1910-1946, Journal of African History, Vol.24, 19983, pp517-534.
Christian missions adopted different methods of conversion of people to Christianity through the permission of the natives‘ administrators and Colonial officers, thus the mission entry into treatments of the lepers yield more result in conversion than educational and other humanitarian assistance. Despite the mission success the colonial government observed the danger of converting the Muslim north into Christianity they therefore input restrictions. Throughout the period of colonial government the mission were given opportunity to control health sector with Natives authority as major stakeholders. The differences of the mission method in Nigerian border and that of Nigeria is that in Nigeria missionaries have adopted preaching, teaching and medical services while in Niger the mission did not apply such method until recently they adopted the methods among the border communities. The mission adopted the use of Hausa language as a medium of communication by the missions towards making western education more attractive to Hausa speaking natives and it allowed the Hausa people to give the mission attention during preaching .In the later 19th century, Hausaland remained the principal area needed to evangelize by the Priests, and from 1867 -1892 Christian missions continued to plan to established Christian community out of the Hausa Muslim tribes, they only succeeded in border areas more than the interior of the Hausaland.
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