CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM CONFLICTS AND INTERFAITH BRIDGE-BUILDING EFFORTS IN NIGERIA

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country with over 140 million people, and until recently the largest oil producing country in the continent, has witnessed numerous violent conflicts between Christians and Muslims. Though Christianity and Islam have co-existed for approximately 170 years in Nigeria, the mistrust and competition between them is deep-rooted. Nigeria's oft-noted religious pluralism has been disrupted by religiously-motivated conflict, including killings, destruction of property, and social upheaval. These religious crises can be traced largely to Nigeria's colonial experience, which began with British colonization in 1852 and did not end until Nigeria gained its political independence in October 1960.