Nigeria
With 200 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the strongest economic power on the continent, ahead of South Africa. Unfortunately, it also ranks prominently in terms of persecution of Christians. Since Sharia law was introduced in northern Nigeria in 2000, the situation for Christians has deteriorated visibly.
Many key positions in the state and administration are held by Muslims. As a result, the main actors in the persecution of Christians, the Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram and the Fulani fighters, remain unpunished. In attacks on predominantly Christian villages, the number of victims is sometimes so high that they must be buried in mass graves.
In addition, there is discrimination and harassment, especially in the northern states. Applications for community buildings are delayed and encounter high bureaucratic hurdles; Christians are disadvantaged or even excluded in the allocation of public offices.
AVC has been active in Nigeria since 2020. We work with a local community in Jos, capital of the central state of Plateau. The focus of the project work is to help Christians who have been victims of Islamist terror. We help them to build new livelihoods in their ancestral villages. In refugee camps, many have found shelter, survival assistance, help to help themselves and support for their children schooling.
