NIGER STATE: CHRISTIANS MAKE UP 45.7% OF POPULATION
A new demographic assessment by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State reveals that Christians make up 45.7% of the state’s projected population.
Out of an estimated 7,478,417 residents, the Christian community accounts for 3,417,636 people.
Evang. Marcus Salka, Chairman of the CAN Christian Statistics Committee, stated that the data collection effort aims to correct inaccurate representations and social media rumors regarding the state’s Christian population.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday in Minna alongside committee secretary Barde Jesse, Salka noted that the remaining population consists of approximately 46.1% and 8.2% for the other two major religious groups in the state.
By comparison, the last official headcount in the 2006 national census recorded a total state population of 3,950,249, consisting of 2,032,725 males and 1,917,524 females.Because official Nigerian censuses omit religious data, this new 45.7% figure is a calculated estimate drawn from demographic surveys, fieldwork, and research conducted since 2025.
The committee utilized the 2025 population projection from the Niger State Bureau of Statistics to establish their baseline of 3,417,636 Christian residents.
Salka emphasized that political participation should not be used to judge the size of the community.
He asserted that while some Christians choose not to engage in active politics, the community remains a major demographic bloc that will no longer allow outside interests to misrepresent its true numbers.
The committee also highlighted how ongoing insecurity has altered the demographic distribution of Christian communities across the state.
Salka specifically named Shiroro, Munya, Paikoro, Rafi, Wushishi, and Magama as local government areas where persistent attacks have caused severe displacement and loss of life.
He further alleged that these displacements represent a deliberate effort to diminish Christian presence in those regions.
Despite these security challenges, the briefing confirmed that Christians maintain a strong presence across all rural and urban areas of Niger State.
The community’s growth aligns with the state’s overall expansion, which according to 2025 projections includes 3,790,197 males and 3,688,220 females.
The state’s Christian population spans all 25 local government areas and is represented by various denominations, including Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical, and African Instituted churches.
These groups operate under major blocs such as the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), the Organisation of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), and the TEKAN/ECWA fellowships.
Moving forward, the committee vowed to continually challenge any skewed data regarding their community.
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