‘Nigeria can be religious and prosperous,’ Mike Bamiloye’s son reacts after Obi’s comment on vigil

Joshua Bamiloye, son of renowned Nigerian evangelists Mike and Gloria Bamiloye, has reacted after former Anambra state governor Peter Obi made recent remarks regarding church vigils.

Obi’s comments, made on the Honest Bunch Podcast, have stirred significant debate online, with many questioning his perspective on the role of religious gatherings in Nigeria’s productivity.

During the podcast, Obi suggested that Nigeria might benefit more from productivity-driven night shifts instead of traditional church vigils, which he implied were contributing to poverty.

He advocated for fewer night gatherings in churches, encouraging a shift towards night work to boost productivity.

According to Obi: “It’s attractive, politics and church but it has to be dismantled.

“We are going to turn night vigil into night shift so that people can be productive.

“I go to church and believe in God but we can’t have it that people Monday to Friday, be in church morning and night.

“If I go from here to my house, the only sign boards you see are those of churches.

“If you go to the East, it’s burials and that’s not a country.”

Bamiloye, who took to social media platform X amid the ongoing debate off Obi’s remarks, addressed what he described as a misrepresentation of the nation’s underlying issues.

“So now vigils are the reason Nigeria isn’t productive? The mentality of blaming church attendance for Nigeria’s problems is very misguided and, at best, an insult,” Bamiloye wrote.

He further argued that if productivity was the primary concern, then other social events, including recreational gatherings, comedy shows, and concerts, should also be curtailed.

“Vigils are commonly held on Fridays, right before the weekend. If we want to be productive, why not also ban recreational events, comedy shows, and concerts—in fact, ban every social gathering?” he added.

In a follow-up post, Bamiloye emphasized that Nigeria could indeed be both religious and prosperous, rejecting the notion that the two are mutually exclusive.

He pointed out that several countries with strong religious practices are still productive and economically stable.

He wrote, “‘We’re talking about those who attend vigils Monday to Friday.’ How many churches organize vigils throughout a working week? In a bid to blame the church, we create this absurd straw man argument.

He cited examples, adding, “In most Arab countries, people pray five times daily. In Greece, with a strong Greek Orthodox tradition, many people observe daily prayers or participate in church-related events, especially on weekends and during holidays. India, the Philippines, Israel, and so on…”

Bamiloye closed his response with a reference to the U.S.-based fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, which remains closed on Sundays despite the day being considered highly profitable in the industry.

“A country can be actively religious AND prosperous; it’s not one or the other. Let’s face the real problem,” he concluded.