'All religions aim to establish relationship wit God' - Catholic priest wey turn African Traditional religion expert

BBC News

03-05-2025

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."