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A group of Jehovah’s Witnesses with publications and a phonograph in the early 1930’s

DECEMBER 13, 2021
NIGERIA

Jehovah’s Witnesses Remember 100 Years of Preaching in Nigeria

1921-2021: From Small Beginnings to Over 400,000 Publishers

Jehovah’s Witnesses Remember 100 Years of Preaching in Nigeria

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nigeria recently held two special events to mark 100 years of Bible education work there. On December 12, 2021, all congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nigeria were invited to view a special prerecorded program featuring talks and interviews regarding the history of the preaching work in the country. The program was streamed to viewers in the Efik, English, Igbo, Nigerian Sign Language, Pidgin (West Africa), and Yoruba languages. Earlier, on December 10, 2021, they opened a special museum exhibition at their branch office. Currently, the exhibition is only open to those serving at the Nigeria branch, but it will open to visitors in the future.

Brother William “Bible” Brown (left) along with some of the local brothers and sisters and missionaries in front of the branch office in 1948

The exhibition, entitled “100 Years of Courage,” tells the exciting story of bold preaching and strong faith. It highlights that Witnesses in Nigeria demonstrated courage despite publication bans, public ridicule, and a brutal civil war. This history is brought to life through interactive audio and video elements and displays of original historical artifacts. Visitors will be able to watch the growth of the work in Nigeria, from December 1921, when a few interested people attended Bible study classes in Lagos, to modern times, as a crowd of over 400,000 publishers preach throughout the country.

The Witnesses in Nigeria and around the globe can gain courage as they consider the faithful example of the Nigerian brothers over the past 100 years.—John 16:33.