​

In this country where 53 percent of the population is Muslim, the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram is still active in its campaign to replace the democratic Nigerian government and impose sharia (Islamic law). Boko Haram, allied with the Islamic State, has killed tens of thousands of Nigerians in the northeast since 2009, often targeting Christians, churches, and Christian organizations. There is some evidence that Boko Haram or other Islamic terrorist groups are arming and otherwise supporting the surge of Muslim Fulani herdsmen attacks on predominantly Christian farmers.

​

Altogether, such violence has driven more than 2.3 million people from their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis that native missionaries are helping to alleviate. As local missionaries help the displaced with food, clothing, shelter, and education, they have shared the gospel and seen many people put their faith in Christ. The workers seek assistance for this aid and efforts to provide converts from Islam with places of refuge and new land and housing in secure areas.

​

Nigeria’s official language is English, but there are more than 500 languages spoken in the country, and most ethnic groups prefer to speak in their own language. English is widely used for education, business and official purposes. Only a small minority of the country’s urban elite speak English as a first language, and in some rural areas it is unknown.

​