PENTECOSTALISM AND INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE FACE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

Résumé

Since the announcement of the first case of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the 27th of February, 2020 in Nigeria, there has been an upsurge in the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the country. This has necessitated the declaration of the social distancing policy and movement lockdown by the government of Nigeria in most states. This policy led to the closure of worship centers and the prohibition of all forms of religious gatherings. This paper examines the impact of the Covid-19 social distancing policy and movement lockdown on Pentecostalism in Nigeria. The paper also investigates the extent to which Pentecostalism has employed ICT to sustain and build the faith of its members in the face of the pandemic. The paper employs the expository and analytic methods of data analysis. This paper concludes that just like the Spanish influenza of 1918-19 led to a great revival and the formation of prayer groups and churches to cushion the effects of the influenza, Pentecostal movements in Nigeria have not only used the ICT to sustain and build the faith of its member in the face of the pandemic, it has also used the ICT to evangelize and win new members to the fold.