Nigeria2
June 13th

“Nigeria, be strengthened and encouraged to remain true to the faith!”

strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

(Acts 14:22,NIV)

》 Country Profile

Continent | Africa
Population | 220 million
Area | 923,768㎢, Located on the Atlantic coast of western Africa.
Capital City | Abuja (capital, 3.84 million people)
People Groups | Total 538 groups, Yoruba 19.7%, Hausa 17%, Igbo 14.6%, Fulani 8.9%, Kanuri 3.7%, Ibibio 3%, Tiv 2.2%, Ijaw 2.3%
People Groups Unreached | 91 groups (31.4% of the population)
Official Language(s) | English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo
Total Languages | 538
Bible Translations | Completed 50, New Testament 79, Partial 107
Religion | Christian 51.2% (Protestant 10%, Catholic 16%), Islam 43.2%, Ethnic religion 5.2%, Evangelicals 25.8% (56.79 million people)

》 About Nigeria 2

Christianity was introduced to Nigeria in 1842, and over the past 150 years, the Nigerian church has become a major missionary-sending force, sending 8,944 missionaries to 56 countries worldwide. Since then, the Nigeria Evangelical Missionary Association (NEMA) has taken the lead in global missions, launching the ‘Vision 5015’ plan in 2005 with the goal of mobilizing 50,000 missionaries by 2020. As a result, as of 2022, a total of 15,678 missionaries from 154 Nigerian missionary organizations have been sent to 197 countries to spread the gospel.

The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), a local denomination established on the foundation of the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM), has sent out 1,830 missionary couples so far. Additionally, Living Faith Church and Deeper Life Bible Church are known to have sent missionaries to more than 40 countries.

The Third Lausanne Congress, held in Cape Town in 2010, further inspired the Nigerian church’s missionary vision. Following the congress, 350 Nigerian church leaders gathered in October 2013 for the Nigerian Lausanne Congress on Evangelization, where they reaffirmed their commitment to fulfilling the missionary calling of the Nigerian church in global evangelization. Rev. Yusuf Turaki, then chairman of the Nigeria Lausanne Committee, emphasized the church’s role in world evangelization and national transformation. The congress concluded with the adoption of 13 key challenges and 7 mission statements.

In particular, the Nigerian church has been actively working to reach the unreached peoples of northern Nigeria, as well as more than 250 unreached people groups in 34 countries across the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and the Arabian Peninsula. When Vision 5015 was launched in 2005, Nigerian missionaries had only been sent to 16 of these 34 countries. However, by 2020, after 15 years of dedicated efforts, missionaries had been sent to all 31 countries—excluding Iran, Western Sahara, and Yemen.

》 Scripture Focus

》 Prayer Points

1. About two-thirds of Nigeria’s population lives below the absolute poverty line, surviving on less than $2 per day. The country faces widespread shortages in housing, healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. Amid these hardships, a growing number of Nigerians are seeking to emigrate in search of better opportunities, leading to the emergence of the term “japa syndrome” (from the Yoruba word meaning “run away” or “escape”). The country is also experiencing a severe shortage of medical personnel, as doctors and nurses leave for the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and wealthier Middle Eastern nations in pursuit of higher wages and better working conditions. According to the 2021 Nigerian Social Cohesion Survey, 73% of Nigerians expressed a desire to emigrate. In this seemingly hopeless situation, let us pray first for unwavering faith in God, that people may look after their neighbors in need and seek the guidance of the Lord, the Master of their lives.

2. Among Nigeria’s unreached Muslim groups, the Hausa people make up 17% of the population—about 35.77 million people—primarily residing in the northern region, where the evangelization rate is only 0.15%. Due to the presence of Boko Haram, foreign missionaries are unable to enter these areas for safety reasons, thus Nigerian missionaries are mainly active there. A survey conducted over the past 20 years revealed that 168 ethnic groups have yet to be exposed to the gospel due to the absence of residential ministries, indigenous churches, and translated Bibles. Among These groups, 26 groups do not have even a single church.
Let us pray that God will pour out His mercy and compassion on those who have not yet heard the gospel and send His witnesses so that worshiping communities may be established among all people groups.
Islam has a strong influence in nine northern states and parts of four others, where Sharia law is enforced. Christian education is banned, and churches are being destroyed. Pray that God will raise up those who will boldly and gently share the gospel with those still groaning in the darkness of Islam. Let us also pray that those who have come to Christ from a Muslim background will stand firm in their faith and remain steadfast in the hope of entering the Kingdom of God, even amid great tribulations.

3. As of 2022, through the Vision 5015 plan, 15,678 missionaries from 154 Nigerian missionary organizations have been sent to 197 countries around the world, spreading the gospel. With 180 years of Christian history, the Nigerian church is fully committed to evangelizing Africa and the world while accelerating missions to unreached people groups.
For the future of Nigerian missions, more efficient preparation is needed to mobilize and train young people as missionaries. More than 2,000 Nigerian missionaries (as of 2010) serving in West Africa are facing significant challenges, particularly in financial support and their children’s education.
Let us pray that these missionaries will entrust their families and ministries entirely to the Lord, remaining unwavering in obedience as they testify to all that God has done and how He has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

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