Group |
Where |
Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year |
Source |
Quote/ Notes |
Aetherius Society |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
13 units |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* official organization web site |
directory of branches and groups |
African indigenous churches |
Nigeria |
8,990,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1996 |
1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. |
Table; listed as "African Christian " |
African indigenous churches |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Atansuyi, H. Olu. "Gospel and Culture from the Perspective of African Instituted Churches " in Cyberjournal for Pentecostal Charismatic Research (viewed 11 March 1999). |
"Barely a century ago, African Instituted Churches, a sacred people of God, came to bear witness of the Light, that, through them, people of their race might believe. In Nigeria, these African Instituted Churches are: Cherubim and Seraphim, founded by St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase; Church of the Lord (Aladura), founded by Primate Dr. Josiah Olunowo Oshitelu; Christ Apostolic Church, founded by Pastor/Prophet Joseph Ayo Babalola; Celestial Church of Christ, founded by Revd/Pastor Samuel B.J. Oshofa. " |
African indigenous churches |
Nigeria |
11,840,200 |
10.60% |
- |
- |
1998 |
Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 330. |
"Location: Nigeria; Population: 111.7 million "; "Nigerians widely hold to their traditional African religious beliefs in addition to subscribing to various branches of Islam and Christianity... Muslims now constitute 45% of the population... Currently, Protestants account for 26.35%, Catholics 12.1%, and African Christian 10.6% of the population. " |
African indigenous churches |
Nigeria |
- |
10.00% |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) |
Table "Religions " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
11,824,000 |
73.00% |
- |
- |
1900 |
*LINK* web page: "Geographical Distribution of Followers of ATR... " (viewed 13 March 1999); Arranged by Chidi Denis Isizoh from the entries made in: Barret, D.B. World Christian Encylopedia. Nairobi (1982). |
Table: "Geographical Distribution of Adherents of African Traditional Religion in the Continent of Africa " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
5,970,000 |
10.80% |
- |
- |
1970 |
*LINK* web page: "Geographical Distribution of Followers of ATR... " (viewed 13 March 1999); Arranged by Chidi Denis Isizoh from the entries made in: Barret, D.B. World Christian Encylopedia. Nairobi (1982). |
Table: "Geographical Distribution of Adherents of African Traditional Religion in the Continent of Africa " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
5,024,000 |
8.00% |
- |
- |
1975 |
*LINK* web page: "Geographical Distribution of Followers of ATR... " (viewed 13 March 1999); Arranged by Chidi Denis Isizoh from the entries made in: Barret, D.B. World Christian Encylopedia. Nairobi (1982). |
Table: "Geographical Distribution of Adherents of African Traditional Religion in the Continent of Africa " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
4,100,000 |
5.60% |
- |
- |
1980 |
*LINK* web page: "Geographical Distribution of Followers of ATR in African Nations "; (viewed 13 March 1999); Arranged by Chidi Denis Isizoh from the entries made in: Barret, D.B. World Christian Encylopedia. Nairobi (1982). |
Table: "Geographical Distribution of Adherents of African Traditional Religion in the Continent of Africa " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1988 |
Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 40. |
"Nigeria has an extremely rich tradition in local religious beliefs, rites, and practices... All but the most orthodox Muslim and Christian Nigerians continue to observe some of the traditional religious practices of the country. " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
- |
20.00% |
- |
- |
1988 |
*LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 3/11/88 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) |
Official statistics indicate that Nigeria's population is currently 39% Muslim while it is 49% Christian. Less than one-fifth of the population exclusively adheres to traditional tribal religions... Evangelicals are 14% of Nigeria's Christian pop. |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
15,930,000 |
18.00% |
- |
- |
1992 |
*LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies |
Est. 88.5 million [total pop.] (1992). In last officially accepted census (1963), more than 18 percent as other (almost entirely adherents of indigenous religions) |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
10,712,947 |
10.00% |
- |
- |
1997 |
*LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) |
Total population: 107,129,469. Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 330. |
"Location: Nigeria; Population: 111.7 million "; "Nigerians widely hold to their traditional African religious beliefs in addition to subscribing to various branches of Islam and Christianity... Muslims now constitute 45% of the population... Currently, Protestants account for 26.35%, Catholics 12.1%, and African Christian 10.6% of the population. " |
African Traditional Religion |
Nigeria |
4,047,700 |
3.00% |
- |
- |
2000 |
*LINK* web page: "Geographical Distribution of Followers of ATR in African Nations "; (viewed 13 March 1999); Arranged by Chidi Denis Isizoh from the entries made in: Barret, D.B. World Christian Encylopedia. Nairobi (1982). |
Table: "Geographical Distribution of Adherents of African Traditional Religion in the Continent of Africa "; Projection, made circa 1982. |
Aiyetoro Community |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1970 |
Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 4). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 502. Chapter: "Communistic Religious Movements "; author: Bryan Wilson. |
"A number of other communistic religious sects have flourished... An outstanding case from Africa is the Aiyetoro Community in Nigeria. This sect was constituted by seceders from the revivalist movement known as Cherubim and Seraphim. They established themselves on the coast, and organized a communist system of production. Within a few years, their fishing enterprise had produced considerable profit, and the plain uniforms of the early days were abandoned for dress of individual choice. The community is essentially religious, and although it has a living standard far higher than the Nigerian average, it has maintained its collective services and its community structure. " |
Anglican |
Nigeria |
5,700,000 |
5.33% |
- |
- |
1998 |
"Pope's Visit Blindsides Evangelicals " in Christianity Today (May 18, 1998), pg. 22. |
"With a total population of 107 million people, Nigeria has 42 million Muslims. The country includes 10 million Roman Catholics, 6.7 million Pentecostals and 5.7 million Anglicans, according to World Churches Handbook. " |
Anglican |
Nigeria |
17,500,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Barr, Robert (AP). "Bishops Find Agreement Elusive During Conference " in Salt Lake Tribune (Aug. 8, 1998). |
the Anglican Communion is now mainly an African church: 17.5 million members in Nigeria and 8 million in Uganda dwarf the Church of England's 2 million active members - roughly the size of Anglican churches in Kenya, South Africa and southern India. |
Apostolic Faith Mission of Portland, Oregon |
Nigeria |
20,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1987 |
Melton, J. Gordon (ed.). The Encyclopedia of American Religions: Vol. 1. Tarrytown, NY: Triumph Books (1991), pg. 231. Chapter: Pentecostal Family; section: White Trinitarian Holiness Pentecostals. |
Church reporting. "The largest mission field is in Nigeria, where there are approx. 20,000 members. " |
attendance - weekly |
Nigeria |
- |
89.00% |
- |
- |
1997 |
*LINK* Morin, Richard. "Keeping the Faith " in Washington Post (Jan. 12, 1998). |
"World Values Survey conducted in 60 countries and directed by the University of Michigan... Nigeria topped the list. There, 89% of those interviewed went to church at least once a week. In the Philippines, 68% were weekly church attendees, as were 56% in South Africa. " |
attendance - weekly |
Nigeria |
- |
89.00% |
- |
- |
1997 |
*LINK* web site: "The University of Michigan News and Information Services "; web page: "Study identifies worldwide rates of religiosity, church attendance " (viewed 17 April 1999). "News Release: December 10, 1997 " By Diane Swanbrow. |
Table: weekly church attendance in various nations. "Source: Based on latest avail. data from... World Values surveys. Results with an asterisk are from the 1990-1991 survey; all others are from 1995-1997 survey. " |
Baptist World Alliance |
Nigeria |
1,040,667 |
0.98% |
5,394 units |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Baptist World Alliance web site; page: "BWA Statistics " (viewed 31 March 1999). |
"Figures are for BWA affiliated conventions/unions only (no independents included). "; Table with 3 columns: Country, "Churches ", & "Members "; "1997/1998 Totals "; [BWA stats. in individual countries are sum of figures for member bodies of BWA in the countries.]; [County population figures for 1998 from United Nations data available here.] |
Bini |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. |
Table: Add'l African Cultures |
Brotherhood of the Cross and Star |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1991 |
*LINK* Wilson, Andrew (ed). "The World Religions and their Scriptures " in World Scripture. International Religious Foundation, 1991. (viewed 9 July 1999) |
"In the twentieth century, new Christian groups tend to be more charismatic. They include the independent churches in Africa such as the Kimbanguists in Zaire and the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star in Nigeria. " |
Catholic |
Nigeria |
- |
12.00% |
- |
- |
1992 |
Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. |
Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% " |
Catholic |
Nigeria |
12,412,000 |
11.00% |
1,298 units |
- |
1995 |
1998 Catholic Almanac: Our Sunday Visitor: USA (1997), pg. 333-367. |
Figures are as of Dec. 31, 1995. Number used for "congregations " is from number of Catholic parishes. |
Catholic |
Nigeria |
10,260,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1996 |
1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. |
Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
Catholic |
Nigeria |
10,000,000 |
9.35% |
- |
- |
1998 |
"Pope's Visit Blindsides Evangelicals " in Christianity Today (May 18, 1998), pg. 22. |
"With a total population of 107 million people, Nigeria has 42 million Muslims. The country includes 10 million Roman Catholics, 6.7 million Pentecostals and 5.7 million Anglicans, according to World Churches Handbook. " |
Catholic |
Nigeria |
13,515,700 |
12.10% |
- |
- |
1998 |
Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 330. |
"Location: Nigeria; Population: 111.7 million "; "Nigerians widely hold to their traditional African religious beliefs in addition to subscribing to various branches of Islam and Christianity... Muslims now constitute 45% of the population... Currently, Protestants account for 26.35%, Catholics 12.1%, and African Christian 10.6% of the population. " |
Catholic |
Nigeria |
- |
13.00% |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) |
Table "Religions " |
Celestial Church of Christ |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Atansuyi, H. Olu. "Gospel and Culture from the Perspective of African Instituted Churches " in Cyberjournal for Pentecostal Charismatic Research (viewed 11 March 1999). |
"Barely a century ago, African Instituted Churches, a sacred people of God, came to bear witness of the Light, that, through them, people of their race might believe. In Nigeria, these African Instituted Churches are:... Christ Apostolic Church, founded by Pastor/Prophet Joseph Ayo Babalola; Celestial Church of Christ, founded by Revd/Pastor Samuel B.J. Oshofa. " |
Celestial Church of Christ |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* web site: National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; web page: news release represents a modest edit of the wrap-up prepared by the World Council of Churches (1998). Viewed 7 Oct. 1999. |
"Membership of the WCC rose to a record 339 churches as the Assembly welcomed eight more. There are now 306 churches in full membership and 33 in associate membership. Appropriately for the Assembly's venue, six of the new churches are African: the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe, [etc.]... A request for membership by the Celestial Church of Christ in Nigeria was delayed after delegates expressed concern that the church still has polygamous clergy. A later vote ran into a legal problem and the application will now be considered by the new Central Committee. " |
Cherubim and Seraphim |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
2,000 units |
- |
1988 |
Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 40. |
"Some of the most remarkable growth in Christianity has occurred within the African church movement. In many cases, Nigerians have established their own versions of Christian churches that are free of some of the cultural influences of Europeans. The Cherubim and Seraphim movement, for example, has spread rapidly and now numbers over 2,000 churches. " |
Cherubim and Seraphim |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Atansuyi, H. Olu. "Gospel and Culture from the Perspective of African Instituted Churches " in Cyberjournal for Pentecostal Charismatic Research (viewed 11 March 1999). |
"Barely a century ago, African Instituted Churches, a sacred people of God, came to bear witness of the Light, that, through them, people of their race might believe. In Nigeria, these African Instituted Churches are: Cherubim and Seraphim, founded by St. Moses Orimolade Tunolase... " |
Christ Apostolic Church |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Atansuyi, H. Olu. "Gospel and Culture from the Perspective of African Instituted Churches " in Cyberjournal for Pentecostal Charismatic Research (viewed 11 March 1999). |
"Barely a century ago, African Instituted Churches, a sacred people of God, came to bear witness of the Light, that, through them, people of their race might believe. In Nigeria, these African Instituted Churches are:... Christ Apostolic Church, founded by Pastor/Prophet Joseph Ayo Babalola; Celestial Church of Christ, founded by Revd/Pastor Samuel B.J. Oshofa. " |
Christian Union |
Nigeria |
3,500 |
- |
20 units |
- |
1977 |
Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (9th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1990), pg. 76-77. |
"In June 1977, 20 churches with 3,500 members, now called The Christian Union of Etinan, in Nigeria, were received into the church. " |
Christian Union of Nigeria |
Nigeria |
3,500 |
- |
- |
- |
1993 |
Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (10th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1995). |
page 103. Associated with Christian Union (in U.S.) |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
750,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1921 |
Hallett, Robin. Africa Since 1875: A Modern History; Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press (1974), pg. 336. |
"In 1921 there were about half a million Christians in Eastern Nigeria, a quarter of a million in Western Nigeria. " |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
5,000,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1974 |
Hallett, Robin. Africa Since 1875: A Modern History; Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press (1974), pg. 336. |
"Today the numerical difference is even more sharply marked with about 4 million Christians in Eastern Africa, 1 million in Western Nigeria. " |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
41,403,000 |
37.00% |
- |
- |
1988 |
Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 33, 40. |
Pg. 33: "...Nigeria's 111.9 million people... "; Pg. 40: "...34% of the population now practices Christianity. " |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
- |
49.00% |
- |
- |
1988 |
*LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 3/11/88 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) |
Official statistics indicate that Nigeria's population is currently 39% Muslim while it is 49% Christian. Less than one-fifth of the population exclusively adheres to traditional tribal religions... Evangelicals are 14% of Nigeria's Christian pop. |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
30,975,000 |
35.00% |
- |
- |
1992 |
*LINK* Library of Congress Country Studies |
Est. 88.5 million [total pop.] (1992). In last officially accepted census (1963), nearly 35% Christians. Mission-related Christian churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and others), African independent churches, and Aladura Church present. |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
38,180,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1997 |
Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything, DK Publishing, Inc.: New York (1997), pg. 160-161. |
List: "Top 10 Largest Christian Populations in the World "; (Rank: 9) |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
42,851,788 |
40.00% |
- |
- |
1997 |
*LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) |
Total population: 107,129,469. Muslim 50%, Christian 40%, indigenous beliefs 10% |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
40,800,000 |
34.00% |
- |
- |
1997 |
Dostert, Pierre Etienne. Africa 1997 (The World Today Series). Harpers Ferry, West Virginia: Stryker-Post Publications (1997), pg. 74. |
Estimates of % of population in principal religions, & est. 1997 total pop. |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
- |
45.00% |
- |
- |
1998 |
"Pope John Paul III visits Nigeria " in Christian Century (Apr. 8, 1998), pg. 33. |
"Each faith group [Muslims and Christians] includes about 45 percent of Nigeria's population. " |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
38,969,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
Ash, Russell. The Top 10 of Everything 1999. New York: DK Publishing (1998), pg. 76. |
Table: "Top 10 Largest Christian Populations in the World "; Rank: #9 |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
54,788,848 |
49.05% |
- |
- |
1998 |
Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 330. |
"Location: Nigeria; Population: 111.7 million "; "Nigerians widely hold to their traditional African religious beliefs in addition to subscribing to various branches of Islam and Christianity... Muslims now constitute 45% of the population... Currently, Protestants account for 26.35%, Catholics 12.1%, and African Christian 10.6% of the population. " |
Christianity |
Nigeria |
50,464,320 |
48.00% |
- |
- |
1998 |
Owhonda, John. Nigeria: A Nation of Many Peoples. Parsipany, New Jersey: Dillon Press (1998), pg. 6-7. |
"Population: 105,134,000 (1995 estimated)... Major Religions:... Followers of Islam form 48% of the population, Christians 34%, with the rest of the population divided among various ethnic religions. " |
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite |
Nigeria |
266 |
- |
5 units |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " |
NIGERIA: Church of God in Christ, Mennonite... Members: 266; Congregations: 5 |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Nigeria |
10,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1988 |
Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998), pg. 119. |
"Within 10 years [after 1978], Nigeria membership reached 10,000, and within 20 years the Church had unites in some 26 nations of the Africa continent. " |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Nigeria |
28,000 |
0.02% |
128 units |
- |
1995 |
Deseret News 1997-98 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1996), pg. 188-408. |
"Year-end 1995: Est. population [of country]; Members, [number shown in '# of adherents' column to left] " |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Nigeria |
33,235 |
- |
- |
- |
1997 |
"LDS in Africa: Growing Membership Sees American Church with Unique Vision, " Salt Lake Tribune, 4 April 1998. Reprinted in Sunstone (June 1998, pg. 71). |
Map: Membership totals as of December 1997. |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Nigeria |
33,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1997 |
Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998), pg. 122. |
"Nigeria has the largest membership in Africa, gaining its first members in late 1978 and jumping to 33,000 members in 1997. " |
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
Nigeria |
33,000 |
0.29% |
148 units |
- |
1997 |
Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998), pg. 267-410. |
Information from a variety of sources. Figures for year-end 1997. |
Church of the Lord Aladura |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1926 |
Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 15). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1981. |
"Typical of these movements is the Aladura Church of the Lord, founded by J. A. Ositelu, a... Nigerian catechist in an African mission, who in 1926 received divine inspiration to set up his own Church in Western Nigeria. " |
Church of the Lord Aladura |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* Atansuyi, H. Olu. "Gospel and Culture from the Perspective of African Instituted Churches " in Cyberjournal for Pentecostal Charismatic Research (viewed 11 March 1999). |
"Barely a century ago, African Instituted Churches, a sacred people of God, came to bear witness of the Light, that, through them, people of their race might believe. In Nigeria, these African Instituted Churches are:... Church of the Lord (Aladura), founded by Primate Dr. Josiah Olunowo Oshitelu... " |
Church of the Nazarene |
Nigeria |
8,696 |
0.01% |
38 units |
- |
1998 |
*LINK* official organization web site: Nazarene World Mission Society |
Church Statistics: Churches; 2 Jan 1998; total population: 100,580,000 |
Churches of Christ |
Nigeria |
173,522 |
0.19% |
2,010 units |
- |
1995 |
*LINK* official organization web site |
table: "STATUS OF CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA--1995 " (Campbellite) |
Edo |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. |
Table: Add'l African Cultures |
Evangelical |
Nigeria |
- |
6.86% |
- |
- |
1988 |
*LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: 3/11/88 issue of GLOBAL PRAYER DIGEST); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) |
Official statistics indicate that Nigeria's population is currently 39% Muslim while it is 49% Christian. Less than one-fifth of the population exclusively adheres to traditional tribal religions... Evangelicals are 14% of Nigeria's Christian pop. |
Fulani |
Nigeria |
10,071,000 |
9.00% |
- |
- |
1988 |
Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 33, 37. |
Pg. 33: "...Nigeria's 111.9 million people... "; Pg. 37: "The Fulbe [an ethnic group] (called the Fulani by the Hausa) have two distinct lifestyles--one that is settled and one that is wandering... they make up 9% of the population [of Nigeria]. " |
Hausa |
Nigeria |
23,499,000 |
21.00% |
- |
- |
1988 |
Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 33-34. |
Pg. 33: "...Nigeria's 111.9 million people... "; "Comprising 21% of Nigeria's population, the Hausa [ethnic group] live in northern Nigeria and form the largest group in the country... Islam is the dominant religion among the Hausa, and there is an obvious Arabic influence in their culture. " |
Hausa |
Nigeria |
- |
20.00% |
- |
- |
1995 |
Haskins, Jim & Joann Biondi. From Afar to Zulu: A Dictionary of African Cultures>. New York: Walker Publishing Co. (1995), pg. 82. |
"Today, the Hausa are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria, comprising over 20% of the total population. They live in small towns and large cities such as Sokoto and Kano, and farm the surrounding land... " |
Hinduism |
Nigeria |
30,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1993 |
*LINK* "Publisher's Desk: Hinduism Today in Africa " in Hinduism Today International (Oct. 1993, Vol. 15, No. 10) |
on the continent there are major Hindu populations in South Africa (1.2 million), Tanzania (60,000), Kenya (60,000), Nigeria (30,000) and Zambia (20,000) with significant communities in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Botswana. |
Ibibio |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. |
Table: Add'l African Cultures; Ibibio: A distinct group from "Ibo " |
Ibo |
Nigeria |
7,000,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1960 |
Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 10). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1386. |
"Before the civil war in Nigeria, the Ibo were estimated at some 7 million and lived on both banks of the Niger. Though they occupy a continuous territory and their language is the Ibo branch of the Kwa group of West African languages, they are composed of a number of communities whose membership varies from a few hundred to many thousands. " |
Ibo |
Nigeria |
19,023,000 |
17.00% |
- |
- |
1988 |
Bratvold, Gretchen (ed). Nigeria ...in Pictures (Visual Geography Series). Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Co. (1988), pg. 33, 36. |
Pg. 33: "...Nigeria's 111.9 million people... "; Pg. 36: "The Ibo make up 17% of Nigeria's people. Most Ibo reside in the southeast, but they have long been spread throughout the nation as shopkeepers, clerks, and government officials... Christianity now dominates among the Ibo, but local religons remain strong. " |
Ibo |
Nigeria |
8,000,000 |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, Jim & Joann Biondi. From Afar to Zulu: A Dictionary of African Cultures>. New York: Walker Publishing Co. (1995), pg. 87, 91. |
"Ibo: Population: 8,000,000; Location: Southeastern Nigeria; Languages: Ibo, English "; Pg. 91: "The Ibo are among the most literate peoples in Africa, largely because of a strong tradition of attending Christian missionary schools after the British conquest of Iboland in the early 1900s. Many Ibo have adopted Christianity, but they also continue to practice some of the older religious traditions, such as ancestor worship and the belief in herbal cures. " |
Igala |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. |
Table: Add'l African Cultures |
Igbo |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. |
Table: Add'l African Cultures |
Igbo |
Nigeria |
5,500,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 215, 217. |
"Igbo: Location: Igboland (Southern Nigeria); Population: 5.5 million; Religion: Tribal religion "; Pg. 217: "Igbo religion is a tribal religion in the sense that its major tenets are shared by all Igbo-speaking people, but in matters of participation, it remains locally organized, with the most effective unit of religious worship being the extended family. " |
Ijan |
Nigeria |
- |
- |
- |
1 country |
1995 |
Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu>. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. |
Table: Add'l African Cultures |
Ijo |
Nigeria |
2,000,000 |
- |
- |
- |
1998 |
Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 211-212. |
"Ijo: Location: Niger River delta (coastal region of southern Nigeria); Population: 2 million; Religion: Traditional tribal religion "; Pg. 212: "The traditional Ijo believe in a High God, called Wonyingi ('our mother'), who created and controls the destiny of everything on earth. An individual's spirit is believed to meet with Wonyingi before birth to make an agreement or contract for the person to live a particular life. " |
Islam |
Nigeria |
31,300,000 |
47.00% |
- |
- |
1978 |
Welch, Alford T. "Islam " in Hinnells, John R. (ed). A Handbook of Living Religions, Penguin Books: New York (1991) [reprint; 1st published in 1984], pg. 164-165. [Original src: Weeks, R. (ed.), "Muslim Peoples: A World Ethnographic Survey " (1978).] |
Table: "Approximate Muslim populations and percentages of total populations " |