Pastors and other Christian workers, who are facing increased persecution in this Muslim-majority nation, were able to attend VOM-sponsored training sessions this past June. At the request of local Christian leaders, 12 conferences were made available throughout Niger. As a result, 120 churches have received practical training and resources to help them respond to persecution and spread the Gospel. Please join us in praying for these pastors and Christian workers as they continue to plant churches, evangelize, and educate Christians on how to live as effective Christ-followers in a predominantly Islamic society.
Niger
Equipping Persecuted Christian Workers
VOM USA
- Country Information
Population
25,396,840 (July 2023 est.)Ethnicity (%)
Hausa (53.1), Zarma/Songhai (21.2), Tuareg (11), Fulani/Peuhl (6.5), Kanuri (5.9), Gurma (0.8), Arab (0.4), Tubu (0.4), other/unavailable (0.9) (2006 est.)Religion (%)
Islam (99.3), Christianity (0.3), Animist (0.2), none (0.1) (2012 est.)Leader
General Abdourahame Tiani (July 2023)Government type
Semi-presidential republicLegal system
Mixed system, based on French civil law, Islamic law and customary law.Source: CIA World Factbook
- Pray for Niger
Pray that Fulani Christians will have boldness and wisdom as they share the gospel with Fulani Muslims. May they continue to entrust everything they have and even their lives to God, seeing it as meaningless in comparison with the joy of knowing Christ and sharing Him with others (Acts 20:24). Ask God to encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in their faith, and not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 10:32-39; Hebrews 12:1-3).
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Niger News
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Baptismal Service Attacked by Gunmen
Militants in Niger.
Photo: Wikimedia / aharan_kotogo (cc)On September 15th, a baptismal ceremony in Takoubatt, a village located within the Tillabéri region of Niger, was violently disrupted when gunmen on motorcycles suddenly stormed the gathering. According to a local source, 15 people were killed during that initial attack. The assailants then moved to the outskirts of the village, where they claimed the lives of seven more villagers. One local media outlet described the incident as a "gruesome death toll of 22 innocent people [who were] cowardly killed without reason or justification."
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Protesters Set Fire to Church
Assemblies of God Church in Maradi
Photo: VOM USAA mob in the Zaria district of Niger's second largest city, Maradi, set fire to an Assemblies of God church in retaliation for the arrest of a prominent imam. In addition to the destruction of the church building, the pastor's car was also torched. Witnesses say that groups of young people also set up barricades with burning tires in protest.
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Church Ransacked and Burned
Some of the destroyed remains
in the Niamey church.
Photo: Barnabas FundFor years, the small Christian minority in the west African nation of Niger has lived peacefully alongside the Muslim majority. In recent years, however, the rise of jihadist groups such as Boko Haram has led to an escalation in tension, including the destruction of church buildings and violent attacks on Christians.
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Restored Churches Emerge from the Ashes
Photo: Samaritan's Purse New buildings have emerged in Niger from the rubble of churches that were destroyed three years ago in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, France. On the weekend of January 16th and 17th in 2015, more than 70 churches were ransacked by hundreds of militant Islamists who were angered that Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou, joined by five other African heads of state, met in Paris for meetings. A previous prayer alert report on the destruction and chaos that took place in Niger may be reviewed here.
