Checking out for good! A critique of the Nigerian economic migrants turned missionaries in London

Abstract

Nigeria despite being one of the major oil producing nations in the World since the exploration, discovery and exportation of crude oil in the late 1960‘s is attracting a lot of global attention of late as Nigerian Pentecostalism seems to constitute a non-commodity export from the country to the West with its globalisation. This was accentuated by poor leadership ineptitude as well as moral corruption of Nigerian leaders over the years as many Nigerians are consistently seeking greener pastures in other African countries and the West. Interestingly despite the economic motivations of most of these migrants, it has been observed that some of these migrants travelled with their religious subscriptions particularly the Pentecostal adherents and some are now missionaries in the England and other urban cities in the West. The economic migrants turned missionaries claims of re-evangelising the host community seems increasingly suspect in the light of ostentatious living as well as poor accountability and probity. Using sociological analyses and historiographical approaches which also entails participant observations of the missionaries, this articles concludes that there is the urgent need for incarnational living and cultural sensitivity to the new context of the missionaries demonstrating more probity and accountability.

Keywords: Economic migrants, Missionaries, London, Nigerian Pentecostal Leaders, London