Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, holding almost twice as many people as the second, Ethiopia. Its population has increased tenfold in the past 100 years, and with a fertility rate more than three times that of the United States, the population surge is unlikely to dissipate any time soon. However, its impressive fecundity is not the reason it has dominated international headlines of late.
Nigeria is also a hotbed of Christian persecution. According to Open Doors, in 2024 Nigeria was the country with the highest number of Christians killed for their faith, with 3,100 Christians killed and 2,830 kidnapped that year.
