Where the church stands in Nigeria
Nigeria holds one of the largest Christian populations in the world and sends missionaries across Africa and beyond. It is also, year after year, the country where more Christians are killed for their faith than anywhere else, with attacks concentrated in the northern and middle-belt states.
Nigerian believers keep going anyway — planting churches in the very regions where that is most costly, and reaching Hausa and Fulani peoples who number in the tens of millions.
Signs of hope
A large, confident, sending church that continues planting into the regions where the cost is highest.
The honest difficulty
Sustained violence against Christian communities in the north and middle belt, and mass displacement.
What "Less-reached" means
There is a church, but it is small relative to the population, or the Christian identity is far more widespread than active faith. Much of the nation can still live a whole life without meeting a follower of Jesus.
In Nigeria the majority religious context is Christianity (~46%), Islam (~53%). The largest population still considered without meaningful Gospel access is the Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri peoples of the north.
How to pray for Nigeria
Prayer is not a substitute for going; it is how going begins. Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.
- Pray for Christians in northern and middle-belt Nigeria facing violence.
- Ask God to comfort families who have lost members and homes.
- Pray for Nigerian believers reaching Hausa and Fulani neighbours in love, not retaliation.
- Pray for depth and integrity in a church large enough to shape a nation.
Questions people ask about Nigeria
Is Nigeria an unreached nation?
Nigeria is classified as less-reached. There is a church, but it is small relative to the population, or the Christian identity is far more widespread than active faith. Much of the nation can still live a whole life without meeting a follower of Jesus. Roughly 46% of the population identifies as Christian and about 28% as evangelical, with an estimated 100 of its 560 people groups still considered unreached. Figures are rounded estimates and vary by source and year.
How many Christians are there in Nigeria?
About 46% of Nigeria's roughly 230 million people identify as Christian — approximately 106 million people. Around 28% are evangelical. The largest group still without meaningful Gospel access is the Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri peoples of the north.
How can I pray for Nigeria?
Pray for Christians in northern and middle-belt Nigeria facing violence. Ask God to comfort families who have lost members and homes. Pick one of these, pray it for two minutes a day for a week, and ask one other person to pray it with you.