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.
posted from Bloggeroid
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