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Profile of ECWA Guest House Yaba - Lagos

ECWA Guest House, Yaba, situated at No 17, Montgomery Road, Sabo Yaba – Lagos was founded by the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM) missionaries. It was then referred to as SIM Mission Home and was under the control of SIM Missionaries.

Based on the information gathered from SIM international archives, ECWA Guest House Yaba was established in 1945 as a memorial to late Ernest Jones who rendered invaluable service to the mission for 25 years as general secretary at the head office in Toronto, Canada and Mr. Jones who served the Lord with all his ransomed powers and greatly furthered the cause of the Sudan Interior Mission. The SIM opened this Home in the suburbs of Lagos, located on the coast of southern Nigeria, mainly for the purpose of accommodating and caring for missionaries passing through that port on their arrival in or departure from the country.

The missionaries always organized gatherings of Yoruba Christians and other missionaries at the premises for worship, to build up the people in the Lord. They also held evening fellowship classes within the compound for new converts to nurture them with the word of God (discipleship class). There were some other fellowship groups’ activities that were being organized by the SIM Missionaries within the Guest House premises in the early 70s. These included “7.30pm fellowship” which gave birth to Youth for Christ, 4.30 pm fellowship, Deaf and Dump Fellowship and Christian life club to guide the young people among them in their walk in life and to equip them with the word of God.

The Youth for Christ Fellowship held their meetings in the garage between the administrative block and the staff quarters. Mr. Playfair was the General Director at that time.

Initially, there were eight guest rooms en suite in the Guest House, an administrative block with a reception, manager’s house, an office, dining hall and kitchen. The staff quarter’s block of four rooms was located at the back of the administrative block.

The name SIM Mission Home was eventually changed to ECWA Guest House when SIM handed it over to ECWA in the early 80s.

Over the years, the ministry of the Guest House grew to encompass missionaries from many other denominations. Bishops from the Roman Catholic Church, World Health Organization officials and a host of other individuals found a haven of rest from the hustle and bustle of Lagos in the Guest House.

During the 1970s, the English section of ECWA Church in the premises started. It was a small congregation but included members from almost every ethnic group in Nigeria. Mr. Abiodun and Mrs. Comfort Bamigbose were its founding members which continue up till this day but is now called ECWA Hausa Church. Mrs. Bamigbose had started and led the women’s fellowship of the early church.

Thereafter, Mrs. Festus Babalola was appointed as manager of the Guest House for some years. During her tenure, the fencing of the premises was carried out. This helped to improve the security and also prevented people from encroaching into the land inherited from SIM. Between 1986 and 1991, there was seven staff on the payroll of the Guest House which included the chief cook, laundry man, room steward/ cleaner, two security men, cashier and the manager. In 1994, Rev. S. A. Babatunde was seconded from the Church to manage the Guest House. Three other staff, Mrs. Comfort Akubiojo, Mr. Danjuma Ihima and Miss Dele was added. The room rate then was N100.00 per person while a room was N200 per night.

In 1994, the ECWA Hausa Church requested for a space within the Guest House compound from ECWA Headquarters to build a place of worship. When approval was granted, the garage and staff quarters were demolished to pave way for the church building which is now referred to as ‘ECWA Church, Hausa Yaba – Lagos’. It was built in 1995. In August 1997, Mrs. Janet O. Ogunleye took over from Rev. Simeon A. Babatunde. The following year, the cemented floors of the guest rooms were changed to tiles.  In 2000, Mrs. Rhoda Funmilayo Omidiji took over from Mrs. Janet O. Ogunleye.  In 2005, the idea of adding more rooms to the existing eight rooms was mooted. Consequently, two million naira interest-free loan (N2.m) was secured from ECWA Headquarters and in addition to the yearly income from the Guest House, was used to build four additional guest rooms and an office. This increased the number of guest rooms to twelve with an office as seen below:

Due to the increase in the number of rooms, there was need for more staff and there are more challenges as well. As the patronage increased, the existing twelve rooms became inadequate. In 2007, the then Manager, Mrs. Rhoda F. Omidiji sourced for another loan of seventy five million naira from ECWA Staff Investment Scheme (ESIS) to build a befitting Guest House in Lagos. But this time around, the loan was with interest. That same year, the foundation of a two-storey structure of twenty eight rooms, two seminar halls and one multipurpose hall with modern facilities was laid. With the help of God Almighty and through the cooperation of staff and the Building Committee, the building was completed and formally dedicated to the glory of God by the then ECWA President, Rev. Anthony O. Farinto, on 29th April, 2010.

Below is the list of the building committee
  • Rev. S A Babatunde
  • Rev. J A O Onikeku
  • Elder Bwala
  • Engr.S. O. Kadri
  • Arc. P.O. Abidoye
  • Mrs. Rhoda F. Omidiji
  • Mr. Aaron Olatunji
  • Mr.S.O.Aremu
  • Pioneer Chairman
  • Chairman
  • Member
  • Member
  • Member
  • Manager/Member
  • Accountant/Secretary
  • Auditor/Member

The payment of the loan collected for the building started shortly after its completion. The old Guest House inherited from SIM (which was the L shape) was renovated to meet the modern standard of the new building of four rooms and an office bringing it now to U shape as seen below:

Earlier in 2008, the ECWA Ebute Metta DCC, Lagos, had also requested for a space within the compound to erect an office for the DCC. A space was allocated to them just behind the Hausa Church. The office was built and officially dedicated in 2010.

In December 2012, Mrs. Rhoda F. Omidiji was transferred to ECWA Headquarters in Jos as the Coordinator of ECWA Guest Houses while in January, 2013, Mrs. Janet O. Ogunleye was transferred back to Yaba as manager. The paving stone (inter-locking) of the Guest House premises was done in December, 2015

As at 2015, the staff strength of the Guest House had increased to twenty five.

  • Mr. and Mrs Abiodun Bamigbose
  • Festus Babalola
  • Lawani K. Ibrahim
  • Bassi Illiya
  • Simeon A. Babatunde (Ayodele)
  • Janet O. Ogunleye
  • Rhoda F. Omidiji
  • Janet Oguleye
  • 1969 -1983
  • 1983 - 1986
  • 1987 – 1991
  • 1991 – 1993
  • 1994 - 1997
  • 1997 – 1999
  • 2000 – 2012
  • 2013 – till date