Out of Nigeria’s 218.5 million people, 87 million claim to be Christian. As we consider the Nigerian church today, we can gain insight by looking back in history to see how and when the gospel was first brought to this country. So, how did Nigeria get to this point?
How Was the Gospel Brought to Nigeria?
Around the 14th and 15th centuries, Portuguese merchants came to the present-day southern region of Nigeria and shared the gospel. Before then, African Traditional Religion and Islam were prevalent in Nigeria. Islam was brought to the country by Egyptian Muslims around the 9th century.
Nigeria has the fifth-largest Muslim population in the world. This has made practicing Christianity difficult and dangerous.
While the gospel was brought hundreds of years ago to Nigeria, Christianity remained mainly in the coastal regions where merchants had shared the gospel. It was not until the 19th century when missionaries arrived in Nigeria that gospel seeds would bloom.
After the emancipation of slaves in Europe and America, and during the time of British imperialism, converted ex-slaves and evangelical missionaries came to Sierra Leone and then were sent to Nigeria after theological training. In response to missionaries coming to Nigeria, Christianity grew exponentially and numerous churches were planted.
Another pivotal period for Christianity in Nigeria was during the 1970s when revival came to Nigerian college campuses. This led to the establishment of student fellowships and missions organizations. However, at the same time, Muslim-Christian tensions were greatly exacerbated, which led to violence against Nigerian Christians and political opposition that is still prevalent today.
What Does the Church Look Like Today?
By God’s grace, Nigeria currently has the sixth-largest Christian population in the world. In just a short period of time, Christianity has grown exponentially and spread throughout the country. Yet, Nigeria also has the fifth-largest Muslim population in the world with 90 million Muslims. The large Christian and Islamic populations have led to tensions between the two religions and has made practicing Christianity difficult and dangerous.
Today, Nigerian Christians mainly experience persecution from Boko Haram, an Islamist militant organization based in northeastern Nigeria since 2002. Boko Haram members have killed Christians, raped women, and burned and vandalized churches. Because of church buildings being destroyed, some congregations have been forced to separate due to the fear of meeting together, and some Nigerian Christians have decided to flee the country for their safety.
How Can You Pray for the Church in Nigeria?
As the Nigerian church has grown and many missionaries have been sent to the nations, we can praise God for his goodness and mighty power. Pray that more Nigerian disciples would be made and equipped to share the gospel with their neighbors and with the nations.
As Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria, pray for their protection and safety. Pray that despite opposition, they may have the boldness to continue to spread the gospel. Lastly, as Nigerian Christians experience persecution, pray that they may remember that they are being held by the sovereign, true God and that, through him, all things are possible (Philippians 4:13).
Selah Lipsey is a Content Writer at Radical. She is a graduate of Samford University where she studied Journalism and Spanish. She is a member of Redeemer Community Church. She is married to Jeremy.
