Nigeria has once again been named one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian, ranking seventh globally in the 2025 World Watch List released by Open Doors, an international watchdog organisation that monitors Christian persecution worldwide.
Despite dropping one position from the previous year, Nigeria remains the most violent country for Christians, accounting for nearly 69 percent of all faith-related killings globally.
According to the report, 3,100 out of the 4,476 Christians killed for their faith worldwide in 2024 were Nigerians.
The report identifies Islamist extremist violence, militant herder attacks, and government inaction as key drivers of Christian persecution across Nigeria, particularly in the northern and Middle Belt regions. Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani militias continue to target Christian communities with deadly precision.
In Plateau State, at least 200 people were killed in late December 2023 in what has been described as one of the bloodiest attacks on Christian farming communities.
More recently, in April 2025, gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders killed over 40 villagers in Bokkos Local Government Area, also in Plateau State.
In Benue, over 150 people have been reported dead this year alone following a resurgence of attacks that have displaced thousands.
Open Doors noted that the violence goes beyond killings. Christian women and girls face abduction, rape, and forced conversion, particularly in rural areas. Churches have been burned, villages razed, and survivors forced into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps that often lack adequate food, healthcare, or protection.
“Christian communities in Nigeria continue to live under the constant threat of attacks. The government has not only failed to stop the violence but has in many cases been complicit through silence or inaction,” said an Open Doors spokesperson.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has promised increased investment in security and has appointed new military chiefs.
However, civil society groups and international observers say the federal government has done little to hold perpetrators accountable or prevent further attacks.
Critics also point to structural issues such as climate-related migration, ethnic tensions, and poor law enforcement that have compounded the crisis.
In some northern states, Christians reportedly face institutional discrimination, including restrictions on church construction, denial of political representation, and economic exclusion.
The World Watch List ranks countries based on the intensity of persecution faced by Christians in five areas: private life, family life, community life, national life, and church life. Nigeria scored particularly high in violence-related metrics.
Other countries in the top 10 include North Korea (1st), Somalia (2nd), Yemen (3rd), Libya (4th), Sudan (5th), and Eritrea (6th).
Despite the grim outlook, Christian advocacy groups say they are committed to providing trauma care, humanitarian relief, and legal support for victims.
“There is a genocide going on against Christians in Nigeria, and the world cannot continue to look away,” said Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern.
