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BBC News
03-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
'All religions aim to establish relationship wit God' - Catholic priest wey turn African Traditional religion expert
Afta im spend 17 years as Catholic priest, Echezona Obiagbaosogu leave di priesthood for African Traditional Religion (ATR) at a time wen pipo dey tok more on di indigenous religion. Obiagbaosogu move don generate plenty tok-tok on social media as some describe am as bold and inspiring to dose wey fit dey nurse di same idea but dey fear to follow di road. E tell BBC News Pidgin say even wen im be priest, e don always do some rites of di African Traditional Religion, and add say im only continue to live im life as believer of God. "Shey switch bin dey? I don always live my life. Even as priest I don always do some rites of di African Traditional Religion. Even on cassock, I don always try to practise di much wey I fit. "Contradiction no dey anywia. So, switch no dey, I just continue to live my life as believer of God," e tok. Obiagbaosogu say all religions, as dem get dia symbolic elements of culture, dey aim to establish "relationship wit God, di Supreme reality". Obiagbaosogu no dey alone on dis path. At 45, Chekwube Okwunwendu don undergo profound spiritual transformation. Once a devout Catholic, now e don find fulfilment in ATR. Although dem born am into African Traditional Religion bifor im convert to Christianity, but e bin no imagine say one day im go take different path from Christianity. "I bin feel lost in Christianity. I bin get questions wey no one fit answer," Chekwube tell BBC News Pidgin. "Meanwhile, Christianity and Islam na imported religion for Africa. Africa get im own as Traditional Religion. So, e dey veri important for Africans to maintain dia own instead of to kill am. E say wen im begin to read about im ancestors spirituality, evritin make sense, and add say e finally feel at peace. Across Nigeria, more pipo dey rediscover dia indigenous spiritual heritage and dey break away from Christianity and Islam to embrace ATR. For some, na about rejecting colonial influences. For odas, na search for identity and spiritual authenticity. 'Pipo dey come in search of somtin wey dey deeper' Oluwo Olawole Olakunle, wey be Ifa priest for Lagos, southwest Nigeria, don notice increase in di number of young pipo wey dey renounce Christianity and Islam for ATR. "Pipo dey come in search of somtin wey dey deeper. And wetin dey deeper here na self-realisation. Wen pipo come into Isese (ATR), e dey give dem di opportunity to work di journey to self-realisation," e tok. "Sometimes, e fit be hardship. In di course of finding succour to dia lives, dem realise say dem don dey disconnected from dia source. River wey forget im source go definitely dry up. But some pipo just love ATR becos of wetin e dey offer." E say pipo now get access to genuine information and no too dey rely on Nollywood, wey e accuse say dey misrepresent ATR. Anoda Nigerian Ifa priest identified as Oluwo Jogbodo say all di pipo im don convert so far na Christians and Muslims. "And dem always tell me say e bin start wen dem begin question evritin. So, I think if more pipo start to question dia religion, dem go also convert," e tok. "Blindly following ideology na wetin allow Abrahamic religions to gain ground. Once pipo start to dey question am now, dem go see di light." Abisola Alawode, wey be Nigerian journalist and producer of one documentary titled Exploring African Spirituality, believe say na growing consciousness among young Nigerians dey drive di shift. "More Africans dey question di erasure of ATR and dem dey actively reclaim dia spiritual heritage," Alawode explain. "Di way dem dey see ATR for di media and public discourse don change a lot over di years. Dem bin demonise am bifor, but today, growing effort dey to reclaim and respect am." According to Alawode, social media don play important role for dis movement. "Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube don give African Traditional Religion practitioners a voice. Dem dey use dis spaces to educate odas and dismantle stereotypes," Alawode add. Di legacy of Christianity and Islam for Africa To understand di present shift, e dey important to look at di past. Islam bin enter Nigeria through trade routes for di 11th century, and spread through di northern regions wit di rise of di Sokoto Caliphate for di 19th century. Christianity bin arrive for di 15th century wit Portuguese explorers, but na for di 19th century, wit di efforts of British missionaries, e get firm root. Dis religions bin gradually displace indigenous spiritual systems, and often label dem as primitive or satanic. As of 2015, di Pew Research Center bin report say Nigeria population na 50% Muslim and 48.1% Christian, wit around 2% wey dey adhere to oda or no religious affiliations. Additionally, many pipo blend indigenous animist beliefs or traditional practices wit Islam or Christianity. 'Religion wey neva go war on im own behalf' Renowned writer and Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka na advocate of African spirituality. E famously remove imsef from Christianity, and favour Orisa worship instead. E describe di religion of di Orisa (ATR) as "one of di few religions for di world wey neva go war on im own behalf, on im own basis, for di promotion of im ideas". "Na veri tolerant religion—di religion of di Orisa. And despite im reticence, e actually successfully cross di Atlantic in di hearts of di slaves, to di Caribbean, to Latin America, Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, Dominica, Puerto Rico, name am. Anywia di slaves go, dia religion survive in spite of veri harsh reprisals from di slave owners," Professor Soyinka tok for one viral interview. "Not only dat, dis religion bin dey so infectious sotey e syncretise wit Roman Catholic religion." Meanwhile, di renewed interest in ATR dey beyond religion—na about identity, culture, and history. As more Nigerians dey embrace dia indigenous beliefs, dem believe say dem no dey just reconnect wit dia ancestors but dey forge a new path wey dey honour di past while shaping di future. "Dis no be trend," Oluwo Olakunle tok. "Na self-realisation."
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin we know about new militant group Mahmuda for Kwara state
Reports from Kwara State wey dey North Central Nigeria show say one new militant group wey dem dey call Mahmuda don show face, and dem dey claim say dem be jihadists. Recently, dem don dey attack plenty communities wey dey under Kaiama and Baruten local govment areas for di state. Some reports even tok say di gunmen don dey hide for Lake National Park, from wia dem dey launch attack for both Kwara and Niger states. Pipo for Kwara tok say di group don dey di region since 2020, and as time dey go, dem begin get ground well well and turn to strong force. Dia attacks make many pipo begin dey run comot from dia homes go nearby villages wey dem believe say e safe pass. For one interview wit one resident from Baruten local goment area, Seko Jibril tell BBC News Pidgin say dem suspect say some of di armed men na Boko Haram members wey escape from North East Nigeria sake of constant attack from Nigerian Army. According to am "Dis new group, we believe say dem come from North East Nigeria, and some of dem na Boko Haram members wey run comot from dat region come our state." Jibril still add say "Dem don dey for ground for Kwara since 2020, and na from dia dem begin attack and colonise some villages." E also tok say di way Mahmuda militant group dey operate resemble Boko Haram style, sake say dem dey kill and slaughter pipo anytime dem attack. "Dia operation just like Boko Haram own dem go attack, kill, and slaughter pipo." Howeva, e mention say di communities wey suffer pass say na places like Karunji and Kermanji wey dey Baruten local goment, wia di attacks don turn nightmare for pipo. "Dem don bring serious wahala for our pipo, plenty pipo from Karunji and Kermanji don run comot sake of fear. Dem don relocate go Chikanda, Ure, Kayama for safety." Jibril add say "Di Mahmuda militants go enter community, kill pipo, shoot dem, carry dia money, food, and any oda valuable wey dem fit find." E add say some weeks back, di militants retreat wen Nigerian military and local vigilante group face dem wit fire as dem try attack one community.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
How drop in price of crude oil fit affect di Nigeria economy?
Crude oil price don weak, as e drop more dan 12% reach around $65.50 per barrel, afta President Donald Trump slam trade tariffs on plenti kontiris. Bifor dem announce di tariffs, oil bin dey sell above $70 per barrel. Na so Nigeria President Bola Tinubu sign di 2025 budget wey fix crude oil price for $75 per barrel. Dis one mean say Nigeria goment go need find way cover di $10 gap since crude oil don drop go between $64 and $65 per barrel. Plenti Nigerians dey wonder anytime wen crude oil price go up or down, how e go take affect di economy and dia own life. How e fit affect Nigerians and di country economy? For dis mata, BBC News Pidgin interview one expert for Kano, Professor Kabiru Isa Dandago wey be Accounting lecturer for Bayero University Kano. Prof Dandago tok say di drop go surely affect Nigeria economy, and Nigerians suppose prepare for wahala from goment side since dem plan di budget wit crude oil price of around $71 to $75 per barrel. E add say "Nigerians go need bear di gbege wey goment go face. Dis na becos Nigeria total revenue go reduce. And if revenue reduce, goment no go fit capture all di tins wey dem wan spend money on." Di sabi pesin for economy mata add say dis mean say goment go need borrow money join to cover di gap. "Many of di projects wey Nigeria goment plan to do, dem no go fit do dem again. Dis one mean say di kontiri need to borrow again to cover di expenditure gap" im talk. E also tok say di kontris wey US President Donald Trump put tariff on don dey find new buyers for dia crude oil, and dat one go make crude oil full market. "Wit di tariffs wey President of America put, kontris wey dey sell crude to US now dey find new market. And you know say as supply increase, price per unit go reduce" im add. Wetin fit be solution wey go work for Nigeria? Prof Dandago tok say di Nigerian goment suppose try find new way to sell dia own crude oil instead of to depend on American market alone - "make dem target kontris wey dey need di crude oil," e tok. Nigeria suppose also dey find way to sell oda tins like mineral resources and dia agriculture products. "Even if we no make much from crude oil, we fit still make money from selling solid minerals, agricultural products and manufactured goods," Oga Dandago tok. E con end di mata wit advice say Nigeria no suppose dey rely only on crude oil money only, since di kontiri get plenty blessings like mineral resources and talents from di youths.
BBC News
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Meet Nigerian female pilot wey also be shoemaker
Nigerian pilot and shoemaker Tracy Olushola Atobatele dey inspire women say dem fit achieve anytin dem dream of. For interview wit BBC News Pidgin, Tracy wey her friends dey call Captain Shoemaker, say na her neighbour teach am shoemaking. About her piloting, she say a lot of pipo doubt am. "Di way I dey treat flying be say if my papa and mama dey dis plane as I dey carry am go, how I go fly am?" she tok. "If I know say I no feel alright, I no go go." Filmed and edited by Monday Idara
BBC News
11-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bayelsa state govnor Diri address issue wit Nigeria currency, crack inside PDP and oda mata dem
Bayelsa state govnor say e prefer say di Nigerian naira get beta value as opposed to just salary increase. Govnor Duoye Diri say strong currency make sense pass and wetin go make civil servant get value of wetin dem dey earn. Di govnor tok dis one in reaction to di increase of minimum wage to 80,000 naira ($53.23) for im interview wit interview wit BBC News Pidgin for Yenegoa. Oga Diri wey dey countdown to di first anniversary of im second tenure as govnor say im goment still more tins to achieve to beta di lives of Bayelsans. "I no be fan of wage increase, to dey increase salary. Wetin I believe na make we bring back di value of our currency," e tok. E add say Bifor pesin fit use one million naira go buy motor but today if you cari one million go, "I no know weda you fit buy keke sef or okada." "But as tins dey increase, wetin di civil servant dey take home no reach again so di need to increase dia salary. But my advice na to bring back di value of our currency. Make e be say if you get one naira, make dat one naira dey equivalent to anoda pipo currency too." E tok. Governor Diri wey also be di Chairman of di South South governors forum forum say e dey committed to bring lasting development for all di six states of di region. Nigeria's oil industry dey dominated by small key states wey dey contribute to di oil and production. Di states na Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom. Diri say im focus na to especially collaborate to tighten security for di region, address road infrastructure wey go improve interstate trade and agricultural development as di south south states get common challenges. "For di power sector, wetin stop us if we get a regional power hub? Like for Bayelsa now we dey try to build independent power plants wey go give us 24 hours power supply. Nobody go say NEPA don take light becos dat one na gas turbine and you know gas plenti for our land!" "If we pull dis ones togeda, we fit even get a regional power hub wey go make 24 hours power supply for our south south region. And you know for investors to come, di number one tin na power. So na dat kain tin all of us dey plan as governors." On di perceived cracks inside di Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Diri say dem dey work as a party to repair di cracks so dem go be a strong opposition for di kontri.
