Christian Missions’ Medical Work in the Colonial Ilorin Province, 1900 to 1960

Authors

• Rasheed Onagun, University of Ilorin

Abstract

A scarcity of labor and the pursuit of optimal profit maximization led to the colonial government's collaboration with Christian missions to disseminate and expand Western healthcare to the populace. In Ilorin Province and Nigeria as a whole, missions undertook the majority of colonial medical work and public health initiatives. For the first time in the history of Ilorin Province, missionary endeavors introduced Western medicine as an alternative healthcare source to many, necessitating a historical examination. This paper explores existing literature, oral testimonies, and extensive archival documents to analyze the impacts of missionary medical work on the well-being of the people of Ilorin Province during the colonial period from 1900 to 1960. It establishes that Christian missions' medical work facilitated the training of indigenous health staff, curbed the spread of epidemic and endemic diseases, treated numerous sick individuals, and ensured the survival of Ilorin Province until and beyond the end of formal colonialism. The study highlights the missions' medical work as a primary catalyst for establishing other colonial social infrastructures in the districts of Ilorin Province.

Recommended Citation

Onagun, Rasheed (2026) "Christian Missions’ Medical Work in the Colonial Ilorin Province, 1900 to 1960," Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies: Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/gajaads/vol1/iss1/2