Nigeria

Nigeria is the most populous and largest oil-producing country of Africa. A former British colony, Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, as a federation. The federal system, imposed by the British, has been a source of conflict, the worst of which was the Biafra secession war from 1967-70, which took more than a million lives. Nigeria has gone through a succession of military and civilian regimes, marked by corruption, violence, and human rights abuses. In 1999, elections brought back a more stable government. Economically, Nigeria has remained a poor country. The oil revenues only benefit the ruling minority. The WCC has supported the Ogoni people in their struggle against the oil companies. The north of Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, the south Christian. Violence between Muslims and Christians has occurred frequently, especially in the northern states which have established Sharia’h law, but also in the south. Besides the large mission-founded churches such as the Anglicans, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, etc., Nigeria has a large number of African Instituted, independent, and Pentecostal churches, which are very active in evangelism and church planting in neighbouring countries, in Europe, North America, and other parts of the world. The churches are organized into five distinct groups namely the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria; Christian Council of Nigeria; Organization of African Instituted Churches; the Evangelical Church of West Africa (TEKAN/ECWA); and the Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria , who make up the membership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, an umbrella body representing all Christians.