Nigerian startup helps local churches digitize operations

* Nigeria has registered about 45,000 COVID-19 cases
* Lagos state has recorded more than 15,000 cases
* Lagos allows places of worship to re-open from Aug. 7

By Nneka Chile and Seun Sanni
LAGOS, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Henry Okolo has grown accustomed to
using his phone to stay in touch with God during the coronavirus
pandemic. He uses an app every Sunday morning to listen to a
virtual service in Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos.
Okolo, a father-of-two, has used it to help his family pray
at home following the closure of churches in March. Lagos state,
with more than 15,000 confirmed infections and about 200 deaths,
has the largest share of Nigeria's about 45,000 COVID-19 cases.
The O'Sanctus app, created last year by Nigerian tech firm
Applus Dome Limited, allows Catholics to attend virtual
services, reserve time with priests and make financial
offerings.
"It made so many things easy for us," said Okolo.
It is part of a broader trend across Africa which has seen
people worshipping remotely, often by watching sermons online,
because of the widespread closure of churches.
The closures have played a crucial role in the battle to
stop the novel coronavirus taking hold across Africa, which has
the highest number of Christians of any continent - 631 million
people as of 2018, or 45% of the continent's population -
according to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity.
O'Sanctus, originally launched as a church management tool
for one parish, covers four digitized parishes and has garnered
more than 3,000 subscribers.
Mercedes Otakponmwenhi, who runs Applus Dome Limited, said
the app was set up with the aim of digitizing parts of church
activities without realising that the highly infectious virus
would force people to worship from home.
In a push to ease restrictions, authorities in Lagos last
week said places of worship can re-open from Friday, Aug. 7.
But the need for digital worship is not over. Places of
worship can open for services only once a week, and at no more
than 50% capacity.