MIGRATION AND MISSION IN NIGERIA

This article provides an historical analysis of the connection between migration and mission or the spread of Christianity in Nigeria using the Yoruba people group as a case study. The paper argues that both external and internal migrations played vital roles in the introduction and spread of Christianity in Nigeria. The consideration of the influence of migration on the spread of Christianity in Nigeria is a major contribution to the growing body of work on the role of migration on mission. Internal migration is widespread in Nigeria but its link with the spread of Christianity has had little attention. In this work, I argue that migration whether forced or voluntary has contributed to the spread of Christianity in Nigeria. Although slavery and other events such as famine and conflicts have forced Nigerians to move out of their dwelling places to new locations, they have provided major opportunities by which many people have encountered Christianity. Migration remains an important agency and non- formal method for the mission endeavour of the contemporary church.