The Sharia of Nigeria

A new democratic regime was elected in 1999. "The oil-rich Nigerian economy, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, and poor macroeconomic management, is undergoing substantial economic reform under the new civilian administration." (CIA World Factbook) However, the country's oil resources have not yet brought the economic prosperity which has been so longed for by the population.

Flag of Nigeria

Map of Nigeria

Muslim Legal Code in Nigeria

Within the short life of this new democratic national government, Governor Ahmed Sanni of Zamfara State (northern Nigeria) has declared the Muslim legal code (the sharia) as the legal system of his state. Several other northern states have also adopted the sharia. These measures have incited religious unrest, causing the death of several thousand people (Muslims and Christians). A north-south (Muslim-Christian) divide has developed, encouraging many southerners to flee the north. Islam in Nigeria is becoming aggressive, hostile and unrelenting in its efforts to gain control over the entire country. The "Christian" south does not seem to totally understand or appreciate the challenge which it is facing.

Pray for the Muslims in Nigeria:

* Conversions among the Hausa/Fulani (about 35 million people), the Kanuris (about 3.6 million) as well as the other Islamic tribes of northern Nigeria has been slow. Pray for breakthroughs.
Pray that the fear incited by the sharia will break down, allowing people to make responsible choices over their lives. Christians need to walk in love: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22)

* Ironically, sharia and its demands have brought an awakening in the Islamic north. Some people are finding reasons to pull out of Islam. Terrorism around the world has put Islam in bad light.
Pray that such factors will discourage more men and women from still holding on to Islam. Pray that they will begin a search for the true God.

* Though conversions in the north have been slow, they have been happening all the same. Sometimes, false brethren have been discovered infiltrating the churches, but there are genuine cases of Muslims converting to Christianity even from among the tribal royal families.
Pray for this to continue. Many disciples are being made in secret. Pray for the mission agencies and individuals concerned to have wisdom and grace.

* Some Nigerian Christians have put such an emphasis on prosperity that it has encouraged greed and very unChristian attitudes.
Pray for a revival in the Nigerian Church. May the sweet aroma of compassion stand out again as a distinct characteristic of the individual Christian. May Christians become as Jesus: "He went about doing good..." May their good works draw others to Christ.

* Pray especially for the Christians in the north of the country, that they may be strong and determined to live according to the will of God despite persecution and intimidation.

Background on Nigeria (World Factbook)

The Federal Republic of Nigeria has the largest population of any nation in Africa. It is geographically diverse and is divided into 36 states to accelerate development and to minimize the impact of ethnic loyalties on national politics. In general the country has a predominantly Muslim north and a non-Muslim, primarily Christian south. Nigeria has religious freedom, but in the past there are numerous examples of preferential treatment given to Islam.

Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed. The president faces the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the OBASANJO administration must defuse longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, if it is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability. Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. In January 2010, Nigeria assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.

Economy of Nigeria

Oil-rich Nigeria, long hobbled by political instability, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, and poor macroeconomic management, is undertaking some reforms under a new reform-minded administration. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has failed to keep up with rapid population growth - Nigeria is Africa's most populous country - and the country, once a large net exporter of food, now must import food.

Statistics on Nigeria

Population: 155,215,573 -- See note below (July 2011 est.). World Rank #8

Life Expectancy at Birth: 47.56 years. World Rank #220

Ethnic groups: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo (Ibo) 18%, Ijaw 10%, Kanuri 4%, Ibibio 3.5%, Tiv 2.5%

Religions: Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10%

Languages: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani

Literacy: 68% male: 75.7% female: 60.6%

School Life Expectancy: 9 years

Population Note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

A Week in Nigeria - Video

Lynn and two others travel to Lagos, Nigeria to help with prostitutes, HIV patients, and orphans.

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Historically, the nomadic Fulani centred their lives around cattle; times have changed. Some Fulani have abandoned herding and are now even fishermen! Others are educated, urban dwellers who have little or nothing to do with cattle. The vast majority of the Fulani in Nigeria are no longer nomadic. The Fulani described below are mostly the rural Mbororo Fulani of Nigeria. Fulani trace their origins to this type of pastoral lifestyle. Fulani households consist of a male leader, one or more wives, six to 12 or more children and other family members.

Morning:

The adults awaken for Islamic prayers about 4:30 a.m. The men spend the morning milking their cows and preparing to pasture them in the bush. The women prepare a meal, consisting of a corn mush with meatless gravy, eaten about 10:30 a.m.

Midday and Afternoon:

After eating, the younger men go into the bush with their cows. A typical family will have 10 to 100 cows, as well as sheep and goats. The young men keep their cows out of fenced areas and farms and help them find forage and water. Older men may go to town or visit their friends. During planting and harvesting, some men work hard tending their crops. The women often carry the milk to town in gourds to sell. They also collect firewood and carry the day’s water for their families.

Evening:

In late afternoon the cows return and are tied up for the night. The family eats their evening meal at about 8:00 p.m. They chat around their fires until an early bedtime. Women, children and older men usually sleep in huts while the teenagers often sleep outdoors.

Flag of Nigeria

Map of Nigeria

While the Jesus film and gospel portions have been put into the Fulani language (Fulfulde), there are still very few Christians who are reaching out to this people. Even so, God has done marvelous things in bringing some Fulani to himself. See the www.morethandreams.tv site for an example.

Prayer Starters for Nigerian Fulani

• Pray for laborers. There simply are not enough Messianic believers proclaiming the Good News to the Fulani.
• Ask the Lord to touch Fulani leaders and imams that they may become obedient to the Lord Jesus (Acts 6:7).
• Pray for increased understanding among the followers of Jesus and Muslims in Nigeria. Peacemaking and repairing the decades of strife and civil unrest between Muslims and those who follow Jesus is a major necessity.

Video: Sights and Sounds of Nigeria (5:41)

Nigeria from David Tuchman on Vimeo.

Cut from 4.5 hours of footage from a mission trip.

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Flad of Chad

Flag of Niger

Flag of Nigeria

Kanuri main tribes consist of the Yerwa Kanuri, the Manga Kanuri, and Kanembu Kanuri. The majority of the Kanuri live in northeastern Nigeria, where they are the dominant people group. Smaller numbers are also located across the borders in the surrounding countries of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. This entire region was once ruled by the ancestors of the Kanuri. Aspects of Kanuri culture, language, and religion have been adopted by many of the neighbouring tribes. The Kanuri are tall and very dark in appearance, with a stately, dignified look. Many Kanuri speak Hausa and Arabic.

What Are Their Lives Like?

Most of the Kanuri are farmers; however, they usually practice some other occupation during the dry season. Those who farm raise millet as their staple crop, and supplement it with sorghum, corn, and peanuts. They raise sheep, goats, and some horses. Kanuri settlements vary in size; but most contain walled-in compounds surrounding several mud or grass houses with thatched, cone-shaped roofs. These houses are very cool during the hot months. Farmland surrounds each settlement. Kanuri men marry while they are in their early twenties. Polygamy is common and a man may have as many as four wives. Young girls marry while they are in their teens. Ideally, a man wants his first wife to be a young virgin. However, the bride price for a virgin is quite expensive, so men often take divorced women as their first wives. The divorce rate among the Kanuri is extremely high, with eight out of ten marriages ending in divorce.

What are their beliefs?

The Kanuri have been Muslims since the eleventh century (about 1,000 years). Many superstitions and animistic beliefs are still practiced in conjunction with Islam. Charms and amulets are worn around the neck or in pockets for various reasons.

What are their needs?

Some of the Kanuri tribes do not yet have a translation of the Bible in their native dialect; others tribes have only portions of the Bible. Among the nearly five million Kanuri, there are several hundred known believers.

Adapted from material at the Joshua Project online.

Prayer Starters

* Ask God to call more people to proclaim the love of Jesus among the Kanuri.

* Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Kanuri and increasingly use the small number of Kanuri believers to share the Gospel with others.

* Pray that God will raise up people to translate the Bible into each of the Kanuri dialects.

Testimony from Africa:

Aïcha was born into a family that was partially Christian and partially Muslim. Eventually, under the influence of her older brothers, Aïcha started practicing Islam. At 18 years of age she married a Muslim man and continued to practice Islam including the fast of Ramadan and daily prayer. After the birth of her daughter Aïcha had an amazing series of dreams. Various aspects of the first dream convinced her to stop doing her daily Islamic prayers. Her husband convoked her brothers and sisters to convince her to recommence her daily prayers, but she could not be convinced. In the second dream she saw a man in the sky. Others were fearful of this man and ran but Aïcha was drawn to him even while he was still in the air. Strangely she found herself having an experience similar to the one recorded in Luke 7:36-50. Afterwards within a short time Aïcha met several believers in Jesus. She has given herself completely to the Lord. She suffered a divorce and many difficulties but she has seen the faithfulness of God in her life.

The general coordinator of “30 Days” worldwide has personally met Aïcha.

Video: Lake Chad under threat [3:35]

• Background information, maps and video on Nigeria are on our site here:
• Background information, maps and video on Niger are on our site here:
• Background information, maps and video on Chad are on our site here:

Hear the Good News in the Kanuri language!

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