Africans are mostly religious. You'll hardly hear us talk without the mention of God. Our business centers are opened with prayers, sometimes long hours of it, and closes same way. Some businesses and corporations do setout hours and days for prayers.
Morning devotion is a part of our school Timetable. Schools pray everyday before lessons and do same before dismissal.
I'm a teacher. I mostly work itinerantly. As a result, I have worked with not less than ten schools. I can boldly assert that the practice of praying every morning before and after lectures is now a tradition in our schools.
Some schools do setout days to pray and fast.
In Nigeria we have several public holidays and a whole lot of them are religious holidays.
A rough glance at us will make you assume that we are really godly; it will appear that our love for God is above and beyond all you could ever think or imagine.
But are we?
I will leave you to answer that for yourself.
It has been observed that many Nigerians who were quite religious while in the country do lose their religiosity when they cross the country's shores, not just to any place, but to a develop nation.
You might want to believe that they are influenced by the spirit of the environment they are in. That might be a contributing factor anyways, but I don't think that it is the main reason.
It should interest you to know why they were religious in the first place.
Before the inception of Christianity or Islam into Africa, Africa was already heavily into all kinds of religious practices. It was mostly people taking gifts to shrines to seek for favours, healings, good omens, long life, fruit of the worm, protection from enemies, and sometimes they even go to seek for the death of a perceived enemy.
The name of the god they used to seek for or from in shrines might have change with the adoption of the two mainstream religion.
The places of worship might have been replaced as well, but I can tell you for free that the purpose hasn't change, not even a bit
Africans are still religious so that they might obtain favours even without labours, healings, longevity, prosperity etc. Just for a good living condition we keep seeking God.
Now some of these things are provided by good government. Some countries can boast of good Health Care policy, less than five percent crime rate, over ninety percent employment rate, good water, good roads, steady power supply, insurance etc.
Those are things most African nations are still heavily battling with.
In frustration, the ordinary people turn to God, hoping that they'll have a better future through him.
When people who worship God solely for what the government of other countries provides eventually have the chance to move to those countries, what exactly would they be needing God for?
Now, I'm an African, a Nigerian of no mean repute.
I wouldn't classify myself as being religious but spiritual. I'm spiritually conscious.
I believe that God meet people's needs. But if the sole aim or the main reason I worship is just so that my needs are met, what happens to my devotion if my living standard is greatly improved?
Now to you. If all your material needs are met, would you still need God?
If yes, what would you be needing him for?