Nigeria: Along Nigeria's 'Spiritual Highway', Prayer Camps Create a New Urban Future

What the report says

An analysis published by The Conversation Africa and republished by AllAfrica examines how religious camps along Nigeria’s Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have reshaped the corridor into what some call a “spiritual highway.” The road, built in 1978 and now heavily congested, has become known for accidents and neglect, but it is also lined with large Christian, Muslim and other faith-based compounds that attract worshippers and long-term residents.

The article, written by anthropologist Marloes Janson, says more than 30 religious organizations have established camps along the 127-kilometer route since the 1980s. The best-known example is Redemption City, the headquarters of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, located about 46 kilometers from Lagos. The piece says the site spans 3,500 hectares, houses a resident population of about 250,000 and supports an estimated half a million workers. It has its own infrastructure, including power, water and waste services, and hosts a monthly all-night gathering that draws very large crowds.

The report argues that other camps have followed similar models, including Muslim prayer sites and a Hindu-influenced ashram near Ibadan. These places offer more than worship: they provide shops, schools, clinics, housing and other services, turning some into self-contained “prayer cities.” The analysis suggests this growth reflects both the retreat of state capacity and the lack of space and rising land costs in Lagos, which pushed religious expansion outward.

More broadly, the piece says the camps are changing ideas about Nigerian urban life by showing how religion, real estate and infrastructure now shape development together.