Nigerian Pentecostal Fellowship Vows Christians Will Continue Preaching In Commercial Buses
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), one of the largest umbrella organisations for Pentecostal and charismatic Christians in Africa’s most populous country, has vowed that believers will continue preaching the gospel inside commercial buses, according to Sahara Reporters.
Sahara Reporters reported that the fellowship insisted Christians retain the right to share their faith in shared public spaces, including the minibuses and motor parks that form a backbone of urban and inter-city travel across Nigeria. The pledge, the group indicated, was a response to what its leaders characterised as attempts to restrict evangelical activity in public transport.
A major Christian umbrella body
The PFN brings together thousands of Pentecostal and charismatic churches from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, making it one of the principal platforms for organised Christian engagement in the country. It operates alongside other Christian associations such as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the broader ecumenical body, and frequently speaks on issues affecting worshippers and the place of religion in public life.
Nigeria is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south, with Pentecostalism expanding rapidly across both regions over the past three decades. The country’s megachurches and neighbourhood congregations draw millions of worshippers, and open-air evangelism — including on public transport — has long been a visible feature of Christian practice, particularly in southern cities and in the Federal Capital Territory.
Preaching on the buses
Preaching, hymn-singing and the distribution of tracts inside minibuses are a familiar part of the daily commute for many Nigerians, alongside the calls of hawkers, drivers’ assistants and the loud music that often accompanies long-distance trips. Pastors and lay evangelists who board vehicles at motor parks are a regular sight, particularly on routes linking Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Onitsha and Enugu.
By reaffirming its commitment to evangelism on buses, the PFN has signalled that it intends to defend this practice, framing it as an exercise of religious freedom rather than a disruption of commercial activity. The fellowship’s position places it at the centre of an ongoing debate in Nigeria over the appropriate boundaries of religious expression in shared spaces — a debate that has periodically drawn in transport unions, security agencies and community leaders.
Sources
This report was written from coverage published by the following news organisations. Follow the links for the original reporting.
- Sahara Reporters — Nigerian Pentecostal Fellowship, PFN Vows Christians Will Continue Preaching In Commercial Buses
- Christianity Today — Nigerian Christians Join Attempts to Deradicalize Terrorists
