Pray for Niger

The landlocked North African nation of Niger is a country of sand dunes and desert plains. Under military rule for thirty-one years, violent coups and bloody political infighting unfolded into a fledgling democracy a decade ago yet only to fall into political crisis once again in 2023.  One of the richest sources of uranium in the world, Niger has instead focused on developing agriculture and raising livestock.  Future economic growth is hoped to be found in the mining of gold, coal, and recently discovered oil.

One of the poorest countries in the world, Niger has over 3 million people in acute food insecurity. The agricultural economy is frequently destroyed by drought, making it insufficient to support the growing population. Despite government efforts to increase agricultural production and the development of uranium mining, the gross national product has declined sharply. Now with the recent 2023 coup, that number will go up with food aid trapped at the border. Slavery is still practiced in isolated areas of the country. Nigerian children are trafficked for labor in gold mines, sexual exploitation, and begging. Women are abducted and sold into domestic servitude or prostitution, and young boys are kidnapped for work in stone quarries. A land dispute between Libya remains unresolved and often triggers acts of violence.

Less than two percent of the population claims the Christian faith. Ninety-three percent of the nation is Muslim, with seventy-eight percent of the people listed as unreached ethnic groups.  Christianity is slowly growing through humanitarian efforts such as well-digging, agricultural development, and education. The number of Evangelicals triples every year, though that is not keeping up with population growth. The cultural pressure to maintain the Islamic faith continues to hinder outreach efforts, though indigenous pastors, many of whom have converted to Christianity from Islam themselves, are stepping up as leaders in the fledgling church.