Religion in Nigeria

Islam and Christianity are the two main religions practiced in Nigeria. The country is home to some of the world's largest Muslim and Christian populations, simultaneously. Nigeria is divided roughly in half between Muslims, numbering around 56%, and Christians, who account for 43% of the country's total population. The Christian share of Nigeria's population is currently in decline, due to a lower fertility rate relative to the Muslim population in the country. Nigeria had the fifth largest Muslim population in 2020.

The majority of Nigerian Muslims are either Sunni Muslims and are members of Sufi brotherhoods or Tariqa. Most Sufis follow the Qadiriyya, Tijaniyyah or Mouride orders. There is also a small Shia community (see Shia in Nigeria), as well as Ahmadiyya and Mahdiyya minorities. In terms of Nigeria's major ethnic groups' religious affiliations, the Hausa ethnic group in the north is almost entirely Muslim, and the Yoruba are religiously diverse, with most following either Christianity or Islam, though a significant number practice the Yoruba religion. Most Christians are Protestant (broadly defined), though about a quarter are Catholic. The Igbos of the east, the Ibibio, and Ijaw in the south are almost entirely Christians with a few practitioners of traditional religions. The Middle Belt region of Nigeria contains most of the minority ethnic groups and the most religious diversity in Nigeria as the region has a mix of Muslims and Christians, as well as members of traditional animist religions.

Nigeria is officially a secular state with no official state religion. Article 10 of the Constitution states that “The Government of the Federation or a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion.” However, twelve Muslim-majority northern states have incorporated Sharia courts into their legal systems with the power and jurisdiction of these courts waxing and waning over the past two decades. In some of these states, sharia courts are optional arbitration courts for personal status issues whereas, in others, Sharia has effectively replaced the formerly secular state level legal system in both civil and criminal contexts. This has brought controversy due to its discriminatory practices towards religious and sexual minorities. Northern Nigeria has also been the site of the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency which has led to the death and displacement of tens of thousands of people.