Figures released by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) indicate that six out of every 10 foreign travellers coming into Nigeria are bound for Prophet TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
A tourism expert, Gbenga Onitilo, who stated this at the Nigeria Travel Week (NTW) 2018 event held in Lagos explained that SCOAN receives the highest number of tourists annually in Nigeria.
According to him, “SCOAN in Ikotun receives the highest number of tourists in Nigeria. It is a city on its own.”
Every year, SCOAN hosts millions of national and international visitors. The church has been reported to attract more weekly attendees than the combined number of visitors to Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London.
Figures released by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) indicate that six out of every 10 foreign travellers coming into Nigeria are bound for SCOAN.
Over two million local and inbound tourists visit the church, which runs Emmanuel TV television station from Lagos, annually.
Emmanuel TV, a global Christian television station, has reached a subscriber base of over 1 million on its YouTube channel garnering over 387 million views, making it the most-watched Christian ministry, not exclusively focused on music programming, on the platform.
Also, SCOAN’s popular services have resulted in an enormous boost for local businesses and hoteliers.
“You need to sell to the world what you want them to come and see,” Ademola Sanya, a participant at the event, stated. Another participant, Yemisi Shyllon, said Nigeria has the potential to generate ten times more than what it is generating from crude oil.
“From proven parameters, we are talking about $700 billion; and Lagos alone can make $70 million. Forget the roads and insecurity — there are dark spots all over the world. Why do we travel abroad? It’s because we want to see something foreign to our culture.
“We have to design our tourism to showcase our cultural identity. There is beauty around our culture (and identity), let’s stop denigrating our culture.
“We Nigerians, we demean our culture; we demonise our culture; we destroy our culture. But that’s what you all go to Dubai to see/experience.”
NTW is a multi-day tourism event platform that aims to drive the Nigeria tourism sector by bringing together buyers, consumers, travel techs, tourism/travel service providers and the media to network, review and discuss the development of tourism in the country.
