Christianity in Nigeria
Christianity in Nigeria is the faith of a slight majority of the nation's inhabitants, with Islam coming in second. Around 50% of Nigerians are Christians. However, Islamic men control the government. [1]
"The U.S. government estimates the total population at 190.6 million (July 2017 estimate). A 2012 survey by the Pew Research Centerâs Forum on Religion and Public Life estimated the population to be 49.3 percent Christian and 48.8 percent Muslim, while the remaining 2 percent belong to other or no religions."
Population of Nigeria's Christians
Open Doors 2024 estimates the Population of Christians at just over 100 MN at 102,988,000 or around 46% of Nigeria's Population (220 MN). [2]
The growth of Christianity in Nigeria to around half the nation's total is part of the epic growth of Christianity in Africa discussed in other articles. It has also occasioned extremist violence from Islamic persecutors and radical Islamist groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria which: "Boko Haram, which refers to itself as âJamaâatu Ahl as-Sunnah li-Daâawati wal-Jihadâ (JASDJ; Group of the Sunni People for the Calling and Jihad) and âNigerian Talibanââother translations and variants are usedâis a Nigeria-based group that seeks to overthrow the current Nigerian Government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law"[3]
Who is most vulnerable to persecution?
"The persecution of believers is most common in the northern Shariah states, where the small pockets of Christian communities in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to violent attacks. However, attacks are increasingly spreading southward, to where the majority of Nigeriaâs Christians live."[2] Christian teen girls are kidnapped, raped and forced to marry the raptist[4].
Possible Solution to Genocide of Christians
Divide Nigeria into two nations just like Sudan was divided in 2011 into Muslim Sudan and Christian South Sudan. Cyprus was split in 1974 into Christian Cyprus and Muslim Northern Cyprus.
As you can see with this map over 90% of the Christians are in South Nigeria and over 90% of Muslims are in North Nigeria. Just like Sudan the few Nigerian Christians in the North could move South and the few Nigerian Muslims in the South could move North[5][2][6][7]. In November 2025, Nigeria's government claimed it is finally sending troops to protect its Christian villages[8][9].
See Also
References
- â https://web.archive.org/web/20180529214016/https://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2017/af/280774.htm
- â 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/nigeria/
- â https://www.dni.gov/nctc/groups/boko_haram.html
- â https://www.csi-int.org/news/nigeria-underage-christian-girls-forcibly-married-converted-to-islam/
- â https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/research-reports/articles/stories/nigeria-genocidal-massacres-not-being-taken-seriously/
- â https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/with-trumps-threats-of-military-intervention-in-nigeria-tinubu-faces-a-delicate-balancing-act/
- â https://www.foxnews.com/world/trumps-warning-nigeria-offers-hope-nations-persecuted-christians
- â https://persecution.org/2025/10/15/aaf-and-icc-congress-must-act-to-stop-the-genocide-of-christians-in-nigeria/
- â https://www.foxnews.com/world/52-catholic-school-students-nigeria-kidnapped-gunmen-latest-attack-report