According to its constitution Nigeria is a secular state with freedom of religion, and its government has made promises that shari‘a law will not be applied there. Since 1999, however, the leaders of twelve northern states have introduced shari‘a in their territories, and the federal authorities have proved reluctant to resist this change. Christians in these states find that they too are required to conform to shari‘a. Islamist militants have expressed their aspirations freely and with increasing force.

Two Nigerian Christian women

The country has a long history of tensions between Muslims and Christians, and in recent years these have developed into sometimes violent rioting, usually initiated by Muslim mobs. Christians in the north have already suffered discrimination for many years, with restrictions on church buildings and poor treatment of their children in schools. Since the introduction of shari‘a, however, there have been more incidents of hostility. Fearing for their safety, thousands have fled from the region, while churches and homes have been destroyed. Many Christians have also died in the frequent clashes between different religious and ethnic groups.

Although parts of Nigeria came into contact with Christianity as early as the fifteenth century, the principal phase of mission activity began in the nineteenth century. Both Western and African-American missionaries were involved. In the colonial period the mission agencies established rural networks of education and health care, some of which still exist.

The north of Nigeria is around 93% Muslim, while the southern states are about 80% Christian. The population of the middle-belt states is more evenly mixed. In the total population there are roughly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims. The church is dynamic and growing rapidly in numbers.