80% of the world’s evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the last 50 years, God’s church has grown exponentially in these areas.

These regions have tremendous mission sending potential to help bring the gospel to unreached peoples, but they currently send only 20% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries!

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Total Number of Evangelicals

Cultural Bridges to UPGs

Regional Access to UPGs

Religious Freedom

Prosperity

Current Sending Abroad

Mobilization Potential

Custom Mobilization Potential

Number of Evangelicals

Cultural Bridges

Strategic Access

Religious Freedoms

Current Sending

This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

ADDITION

FINANCIAL DEPENDENCY

INACCESSIBLE

LIMITED MISSION FORCE

DISTANT AND FOREIGN MISSION FIELD

THE WORLD IS THE MISSION FIELD

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Rapidly Growing Numbers with a Need for Discipleship

Nigeria is home to 52 million evangelicals, making it the 4th largest evangelical church in the world. [[2]] With a growth rate of 3.4%, the Nigerian evangelical church is growing even faster than the Nigerian population.
Evangelical numbers in Nigeria are steadily growing, making up approximately 31% of the total population! [[3]] The Nigerian church has grown so quickly that discipleship has become one of their greatest needs, rather than the immediately assumed threat of Islam. As the majority of new believers were previously Muslim, there is a massive growth that outweighs discipleship opportunities. [[4]] Pray that the Lord would continue to turn the hearts of Islamic Nigerians to Him, as He also turns the heart of evangelicals to disciple and lead young believers well. Ask that His children would see mobilization of His world wide church as discipleship, as all His children should desire to make disciples of all nations, tribes, and tongues.

Bridged to the Unreached

Cultural bridges to UPGs is ranked very high. With an average Median Cultural Distance of 15.5, Nigeria shares many cultural similarities with the 30 UPG nations on our list. Its closest cultural neighbors are Syria, Bangladesh, and Lebanon. Nigeria has another six countries that are within 10 median points of cultural separation from them! Most of these countries with which Nigeria is bridged are either Muslim dominated or in the Middle East. Praise God for this clear and strong connection to the unreached Arab world.&nbsp;
According to Geert Hofstede's Cultural Values Index, Nigerian culture has a high value for indulgence and power and low score in long term orientation. [[5]] This means that as a power-driven society, the culture as a whole focuses on the present and the next readily available satisfaction.

Great Access to Neighboring Muslims

Nigerian evangelicals have access to nearly 66 million unreached people in-country, and almost 160 million regionally. This ranks Nigeria at High for strategic access to the unreached.&nbsp; There are still 83 unreached people groups within Nigerian borders. This is a great opportunity for Nigerian evangelicals to love and serve the unreached without even having to leave their hometown!&nbsp;
Nigeria's location in West Africa gives it extreme opportunities to reach the Muslim dominated western side of Africa that other countries in Africa are not privileged with.&nbsp; Pray that God would show the Nigerian evangelical church their strategic position in his divine plan to reach all of Muslim dominated West Africa.

Increasing Hostilities Outweigh Governmental Freedom

According to Pew Research, Nigeria is ranked low in terms of religious freedoms with a score of 6.1. [[6]] Though the Nigerian constitution bars the federal government from adopting one state-wide religion or discriminating against any religion, there are still remaining tensions and dangers that prevail. [[7]] Reports from those discriminated against say that legal forces are too inconsistent and limited to actually protect all of its people.&nbsp;
Though Nigeria is technically free for all religious practices, social hostilities have always outweighed governmental freedoms. Constitutional freedom is always a great encouragement, but the societal tensions and unaddressed persecutions might prove deterrents for Nigerians trying to raise support and launch overseas, as well as for missionaries or mobilizers considering coming to Nigeria to work with the church and UPGs. According to Pew, the last few years have seen an increase in social hostilities in Nigeria that, if continued, could easily result in evangelicals needing to act with great caution and wisdom as they live out their faith.&nbsp;
Pray that the Lord would ease tensions and give courage to our Nigerian brothers and sisters!

Growing Wage Gaps and Economic Inequality

With a ranking of 144, Nigeria scores low in terms of overall prosperity. Nigeria also scores low regionally, when compared to other Sub-Saharan African countries. A few of the country's lowest sub-category rankings are Health, Safety and Security, and Economic Quality. These stats could pose a hindrance to those looking to launch to Nigeria, as well as those trying to launch from Nigeria.&nbsp; &nbsp; While Nigeria's top few richest have a combined wealth of 30 billion, 60% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day, meeting the threshold for absolute poverty. This economic gap between rich and poor does not stem from a simple cause but is rather aided and propelled by the many inequalities that are deeply woven into Nigerian governmental infrastructure. According to the UN's Africa Renewal Programme, this massive inequality results primarily from regressive taxes and inadequate investments in education, health, and social protection for marginalized and vulnerable groups. [[1]]
Nigeria's overall prosperity ranking could pose a major barrier to mission and mobilization efforts when it comes to both funding and sending out workers. The high percentage of people living in poverty is a major factor to keep in mind as we prayerfully consider mobilizing the Nigerian church.

Small Numbers but Massive Opportunity

The Nigerian Evangelical church is currently sending 1,400 missionaries abroad and 5,000 in-country!&nbsp; A prayer goal of the Mobilization Index is to see 0.1% of a country's evangelicals mobilized to the unreached. If this were to happen, Nigeria would send roughly 52,000 evangelicals to the unreached. Pray that the Lord of the harvest would raise up workers to go out into the harvest!
Approximately .01% of the Nigerian evangelical church is sent out to the unreached. The country is home to roughly 66 million unreached people, making it an extremely strategic church to be mobilized to the unreached! Praise the King for the movement that is already happening, and that He would continue to break down barriers and fears that the church might be up against.

Great Hope in the Future Generation of Mobilization

If 0.1%, or 1 in 1,000 Nigerian evangelicals were mobilized, Nigeria could send out tens of thousands more missionaries! There is phenomenal opportunity for Nigerian believers to take the gospel to UPGs in their own country, as well as many other countries throughout West Africa. While poverty continues to be a burden throughout the country, many Nigerian believers are already pursuing mission and mobilization efforts, recognizing the great need that still exists in their country. We rank Nigeria's mobilization potential as High.
Despite its financial burdens and high percentages in poverty, Nigeria's generosity score ranks 48%, which is moderate! [[8]] This sense of selfless generosity could be extremely beneficial in increasing numbers of missionaries and mobilizers sent to the unreached.&nbsp;
 It is important to note that 43% of Nigeria's population is under the age of 30. [[2]] There are some existing educational programs, such as Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, but there is still a great need for discipleship of the younger generation within the local churches. There are incredible opportunities to mobilize these young people, especially when coupled with further training and education. Nigeria would highly benefit from children and family mobilization, as there is great potential to mobilize these young believers to reach the thousands of unreached people within their borders. Pray that the Lord would raise up leaders and mobilizers for and out of the younger generation of the Nigerian church!

Obstacles:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>A great challenge and barrier to future mobilization in Nigeria is the extreme poverty and social hostilities regarding religion. These are both big challenges for the Nigerian church in sending missionaries and establishing theological trainings.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The growth of Islam in Nigeria is an increasing challenge, and Christians should prayerfully consider how to deal with these tensions and be missional in the midst of social persecution and violence.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Opportunities:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Nigeria has a very large number of evangelicals! With a significant population of young people, Nigeria has great potential to mobilize and raise up the next generation of Christians, through mentorship and programs like Perspectives.</li>
<li>Despite the social hostility toward Christians, Nigeria's constitution promotes freedom of religion. Praise God that the evangelical church does not have to hide underground and has the freedom to practice missional mobilization efforts.</li>
</ul>

Prayer:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Ask the Lord that Nigerian Christians would be burdened to take the gospel to the unreached, and would send out .1% of their numbers!</li>
<li>Pray that the Nigerian church would have the strength and wisdom to endure any social persecution for their faith, continuing on in their ministry.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Praises:
<ul>
<li>Praise God for the cultural opportunities Nigeria is blessed with! Having great similarities to many Islamic UPG nations is a huge opportunity that can be used for furthering the kingdom.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Praise God for the theological trainings available to Nigerian believers and the younger generation, such as Perspectives!</li>
</ul>

PEW religious restriction numbers Myanmar

Official Country Name:Federal Republic of Nigeria

Population:200,964,000

Region:West and Central Africa

Government:Federal Republic

Official Languages:English

Religious Demographics:Christian ±51%, Evangelical ±30%, Muslim ±43%, Ethnic religions ±5%

Nigeria