Based on the excerpt, the most accurate conclusion is that Christian missionaries brought Nigerian ethnic groups together. The text describes how missionaries helped break down ethnic prejudices, fostered loyalty that transcended ethnic ties, and contributed to the belief that practicing Christianity was linked to the creation of a unified Nigerian nation. While the missionaries did aim to convert Nigerians, the emphasis in the excerpt is on their role in promoting unity among diverse ethnic groups rather than on the quantity of conversions or any concern regarding Nigerian patriotism.
From the second half of the 19th century, Christian missionaries featured prominently in the series of events that led to the development of the Nigerian nation and were able to bring about certain political, economic, and technological changes in the region. Their activities helped to break down ethnic prejudices and to bring their converts in loyalty transcending ethnic ties. Patriotic Nigerians came to believe that by practicing Christianity they were paving the way for the creation of the Nigerian nation. The Nigerian state of their dream was one in which Christianity would flourish, inter-tribal wars would cease, and the industrial, technological, and intellectual revolutions which had occurred in Europe would repeat themselves in Nigeria.
From Chika J. B. Gabriel Okpalike and Kanayo Louis Nwadialor, "The Evolution of Modern Nigeria through Missionary Activities Within Colonial Schemata, 1840–1960"
Based on this excerpt, what can you conclude about the influence of Christian missionaries in Nigeria?
Christian missionaries were worried by Nigerian patriotism.
Christian missionaries converted most Nigerians to a new religion.
christian missionaries brought Nigerian ethnic groups together.
1 answer