Bahá'í Faith in Nigeria

After an isolated presence in the late 1920s,Citation
authors = Universal House of Justice
title = In Memorium
journal = The Bahá'í World of the Bahá'í Era 136-140 (1979-1983)
volume = XVIII
publisher = Bahá'í World Centre
pages = Table of Contents and pp.619, 632, 802-4
year = 1986
url = http://bahai-library.org/books/bw18/800-825.html
isbn = 0853982341] the Bahá'í Faith in Nigeria begins with pioneering Bahá'ís coming to Sub-Saharan West Africa in the 1950s especially following the efforts of Enoch Olinga who directly and indirectly affected the growth of the religion in Nigeria.Citation
last = Mughrab
first = Jan
title = Jubilee Celebration in Cameroon
periodical = Journal of the Bahá'í Community of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
volume=20
issue=5
year = 2004
url = http://www.bahaijournal.org.uk/cameroon.htm ] Following growth across West Africa a regional National Spiritual Assembly was elected in 1956.cite web | url = http://bahai-library.com/?file=handscause_statistics_1953-63&chapter=1#22 | title = The Bahá'í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963| author = Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land | pages = p. 22, 46] As the community multiplied across cities and became diverse in its engagements it elected its own National Spiritual Assembly by 1979cite web | last = MacEoin | first = Denis | coauthors = William Collins | title = Children/education (Listings) | work = The Babi and Baha'i Religions: An Annotated Bibliography | publisher = Greenwood Press's ongoing series of Bibliographies and Indexes in Religious Studies | url = http://bahai-library.com/books/biblio/children.education.html | pp. see entries 60-63, 80, 139 | accessdate = 2008-03-26] and had 1000 Bahá'ís in 2001.cite web
title = Republic of Niger for August 29
work = Operation World
publisher = Paternoster Lifestyle
year = 2001
url = http://www.operationworld.org/country/nige/owtext.html
accessdate = 2008-05-18]

Early years

Richard St. Barbe Baker lived and worked in some of the southern provinces of Nigeria in 1927-9 extending his Men of the Trees project of environmental conservation and as a Bahá'í since 1925. [Citation
last = Community
first = Bahá'í International
author-link = Bahá'í International Community
title = We are what we eat, globally
journal = One Country
volume = 18
issue = 03
year = October-December 2006
url = http://www.onecountry.org/e183/e18316as_Review_Spirit_Agriculture_story.htm] Wide scale growth in the religion across Sub-Saharan Africa was observed to begin in 1950s and accelerated in the 1960s.cite web
title = Overview Of World Religions
work = General Essay on the Religions of Sub-Saharan Africa
publisher = Division of Religion and Philosophy, University of Cumbria
url = http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/sub/geness.html
accessdate = 2008-04-16 ] In 1953, Shoghi Effendi, the head of the religion, planned an international teaching plan termed the Ten-Year Crusade. During the teaching plan Mr. and Mrs. Ali Nakhjavani drove by car with two African pioneers from Uganda to open new countries to the religion. The first pioneer settled in what was then French Equatorial Africa, and then Enoch Olinga went on to British Cameroon. By 1954, growth in the Bahá'í Faith in Cameroon resulted in five young Bahá'ís who pioneered surrounding areas, each becoming a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh including Ghana, and Togo. Meanwhile a Bahá'í book belonging to Olinga, Paris Talks, became the basis of a Baha'i Church in Nigeria in Calabar which operated in 1955-56. Concurrently in 1956 there were over 1000 Bahá'ís across North-West Africa [cite web
last = Effendi
first = Shoghi
authorlink = Shoghi Effendi
coauthors = Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land
title = North West Africa
work = Bahá'í World 1954-63
publisher = Bahá'í International Community
year = 1963
url = http://bahai-library.com/asia-pacific/country%20files/north_west_africa.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-04] resulting in a regional National Spiritual Assembly including Nigeria with Olinga as the chairman with its seat in Tunis. [Citation | first = N. Richard | last = Francis | contribution = Enoch Olinga -Hand of the Cause of God, Father of Victories | year = 1998 | publisher = Bahá'í Faith Website of Reno, Nevada | url = http://bahai-library.com/index.php5?file=francis_olinga_biography ] The church was disconnected from the Bahá'í community but applied the Bahá'í teachings with virtually all of the Cameroonian men on one large palm plantation. The church was established, flourished, and then collapsed utterly unrecognized and unknown to the Bahá'í pioneers and to the international Baha'i community until one of the founders tried to return the book. Both leaders of the church later officially joined the religion and helped form the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Calabar in 1957 and served in other positions. [Citation
last = Lee
first = Anthony A.
title = The Baha'i Church of Calabar, West Africa: The Problem of Levels in Religious History
journal = Occasional Papers in Shaykhi, Babi and Baha'i Studies
volume = 1
issue = 6
year = 1997
month = November
url = http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/bhpapers/vol1/africa1.htm ]

Development of the community

By 1964, while associated with the regional National Spiritual Assembly of North West Africa, Nigeria had a Local Spiritual Assembly in Aba, Afikpo, Akpabuyo, Aningeje, Asata Enugu(?), Calabar, Ibadan, Lagos, Nyaje, Owom, and Sapele, and smaller groups of Bahá'ís in Ebute Metta, Ikot Okriba, Ojok, Old Ndebeji, Onitcha, and Oron, and isolated Bahá'ís in Abakaliki, Abeokuta, Kontagura, Kwa Falls, Mbeban Village, and Umuahia. [ [http://bahai-library.com/?file=handscause_statistics_1953-63&chapter=1#22 The Bahá'í Faith: 1844-1963: Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá'í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963] , Compiled by Hands of the Cause Residing in the Holy Land, pages 22 and 46.]

After a Nigerian Civil War in 1967-70, the Bahá'ís of Nigeria elected its own National Spiritual Assembly by 1979.

In 1982 the Bahá'ís of Nigeria hosted one of five continental Conferences called for by the Universal House of Justice. [cite book
last = Justice
first = Universal House of
authorlink = Universal House of Justice
coauthors = collected by Geoffry W. Marks
title = Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-86
publisher = Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States
year = 1996
location = Wilmette, IL
pages = pp. vii (Table of Contents)
url = http://bahai-library.com/published.uhj/messages.1963-86.toc.html#vii
isbn = 0877432392 ]

In 1983 a National Bahá'í Children's committee developed several materials for Bahá'í schools in Nigeria including lessons for children on "Bahá'í History", "Living the Bahá'í Life", and "Bahá'í Teachings".

In 1984 a West African Center for Bahá'í Studies presented papers at University of Ife, in Ile Ife. [cite book
last = Lerche
first = Charles O.
authorlink =
coauthors = ed. Anthony A. Lee
title = Circle of Peace: Reflections on the Baha'I Teachings
publisher = Kalimat Press
year = 1985
location =
pages = pp. 57
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=KrIhZCNM99AC&pg=PA57&lpg=PA57&source=web&ots=ROHzEtHvAT&sig=9MVOk1C-c2p1f_fyXJ38fao8y_Y&hl=en#PPA57,M1
isbn = 0933770286]

Founded in 1986, by 2004 the Bahá'í Justice Society had members in several countries including Nigeria. [cite web
title = Main Page
work = Official Webpage
publisher = Bahá'í Justice Society
date = 2004-07-04
url = http://www.bahaijusticesociety.org/
accessdate = 2008-05-18]

In 1996 Nigeria assisted in the election of the São Tomé National Spiritual Assembly. [cite web
last = Justice
first = Universal House of
authorlink = Universal House of Justice
title = Letter To all National Spiritual Assemblies
work = Newspaper and Magazine articles, pre-1997
publisher = Bahá'í Academics Resource Library
date = 1996-02-11
url = http://bahai-library.com/newspapers/PR021196.html
accessdate = 2008-05-18]

Modern community

The Bahá'ís of Nigeria maintain a diversity of schools like the Harmatan Bahá'í school in Uyo, [cite web
last = Foxhall
first = R
title = Photos from Uyo
work = Photos from Uyo
publisher = UNjobs Association of Geneva
date = 2007-12-23
url = http://unjobs.org/duty_stations/nigeria/akwa-lbom/uyo/photos
accessdate = 2008-05-08] nursery schools and development projects in six communities in the fields of literacy, child education and farming. [cite web
last = Community
first = Bahá'í International
title = In the Field: Some Examples
work = Bahá'í Topics
publisher = Bahá'í International Community
year = 2006
url = http://info.bahai.org/article-1-8-1-3.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08]

The National Spiritual Assembly has appointed a National Baha'i Office For The Advancement Of Women in Lagos. [cite web
last = Osted
first = Denise
authorlink =
title = Women's Organizations - Nigeria
work = Global List of Women's Organizations - A Subdivision of Fullmoon's Web
publisher = Denise Osted
date = 2004-08-27
url = http://www.distel.ca/womlist/countries/nigeria.html
accessdate = 2008-05-08] The Bahá'ís of Ibadan and Idi-Ose held interfaith conferences with Christian, Hindu, and Moslem women, on "Women, Equality and Religion". [Citation
last = Community
first = Bahá'í International
author-link = Bahá'í International Community
title = Women, Equality and Religion
journal = One Country
year = 2006
url = http://www.onecountry.org/oc91/oc9112cp.html ]

The "Operation World" estimates for the Bahá'í Faith in Nigeria are around 1000 in 2001.

Notable individuals

Richard St Barge Baker was a well known forest conservationist and in 1927-9 he was the Assistant Conservator of Forests for the southern provinces of Nigeria. [cite book
last=St. Barbe Baker
first=Richard
coauthors=
title=My Life, My Trees
location=Forres, Scotland
publisher=Findhorn Press
year=1985
isbn=0-905249-63-1 ] [cite web
title = The Spirit of Agriculture
work = Educational & Deepening Material:Bahá'í Studies Series and Seminar Papers
publisher = Bahá'í Publishing Trust of the UK
year = 2008
url = http://www.bahai-publishing-trust.co.uk/acatalog/BPT__BAH____STUDIES__SERIES_AND_SEMINAR_PAPERS_257.html
accessdate = 2008-05-18]

Suheil Bushrui, who has done work on Perennial philosophy and is a noted scholar on Khalil Gibran [cite web
coauthors = Khahlil.org
title = Baha'i scholar receives interfaith honor
work = Baha'i scholar receives interfaith honor
publisher = Khahlil.org
year = 2006
url = http://web.archive.org/web/20060527082321/http://www.kahlil.org/bushrui.html
accessdate = 2008-05-13] [cite press release
title = Scholar and Humanitarian Suheil Bushrui to share vision of peace
publisher = Moravian College
year = October 2004
url = http://www.moravian.edu/news/releases/2004/111.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-13] and inaugurator of the University of Maryland, College Park Bahá'í Chair for World Peace [cite web
coauthors = Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland
title = Center for International Development and Conflict Management (CIDCM)Welcomes Dr. John Grayzel
work = GVPT News
publisher = Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park
year = February, 2006
url = http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/newsletter/February_2006.pdf
accessdate = 2008-05-13] , first taught in Nigeria at University of Ibadan before leaving for Lebanon in 1968. [Citation
last = International Community
first = Bahá'í
author-link = Bahá'í International Community
title = From literature to peace: a scholar who strives to be a bridge between cultures
periodical = One Country
volume = 15
issue = 02
year = July-September 2003
url = http://www.onecountry.org/e152/e15204as_Profile_Bushrui_story.htm]

Helen Elsie Austin lived in Africa as a US Foreign Service Officer from 1960 to 1970, serving as a Cultural attaché with the United States Information Agency in Lagos, Nigeria. [cite web
coauthors = National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States
title = Selected profiles of African-American Baha'is
publisher = National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States
url = http://www.bahai.us/node/77
accessdate = 2008-04-06] [Citation
coauthors = Bahá'í International Community
title = Standing up for justice and truth
newspaper = Bahá'í World News Service
date = 2004-12-05
url = http://news.bahai.org/story/338 ]

Kiser Barnes was first elected as a member the Universal House of Justice in 2000. Barnes was a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria from 1980 to 1993, where he taught the Law of Business Associations, Law of Contracts, and International Economic Law and earned a Masters in the Philosophy of Law in 1984 and was a member of the Auxiliary Board for the Propagation of the Baha'i Faith in Nigeria from 1981 to 1990, and the Continental Board of Counsellors for the Protection and Propagation of the Baha'i Faith in Africa from 1990 to 1993. [cite web
title = Biographies of Co-Chairs, Faith Participants and Other Invitees
work = World Faiths and Development - Dialogue
publisher = The World Bank Group
date =
url = http://www.worldbank.org/html/extdr/faithsdialogue/bio.htm
accessdate = 2008-05-18]

See also

* Demographics of Nigeria
* Religion in Nigeria
* History of Nigeria
* Bahá'í Faith in Cameroon

References

"The Baha'i Faith In Nigeria", Dialogue & Alliance, Winter 1992, p104, by Loni Bramson-Lerche. Bramson-Lerche received her PhD from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium) in contemporary history and religious studies. She has taught at universities in West Africa and Europe and has several publications in the field of Bahá'í Studies. [cite journal
title = Biographical Notes
journal = The Journal of Bahá'í Studies
volume = 08
issue = 02
year = 1998
url = http://www.bahai-studies.ca/archives/jbs/jbs.8-2.bionotes.html
accessdate = 2008-05-18]