Several African kingdoms were founded in the region that is now Benin. By the 1600’s, the kingdom of Dahomey, with Abomey its capital, controlled the area. Europeans began to establish slave-trading posts along the coast about this time. It has a long history of human sacrifice and is the birthplace of Voodoo.
Nigeria is a federal republic made up of 36 states and one territory. This vast nation (the size of France, the United Kingdom and Ireland combined) is the most populous African nation, with 490 ethnic groups and a total population of at least 130 million.
Pray with us for these African countries. Muslims represent 41.3% of the population in Africa, growing at a rate of 2.5% per year (mainly as a result of having large families). Islam first spread from the Middle East to North Africa and then eventually towards the south.
It should be noted that a recent translation of the 30-Days Muslim Prayer booklet was done in the Maroua area in Cameroon. The booklet was translated from French into Fulfulde, the language of the local Fulani Christians. We thank our friends in Maroua for their faithful and hard work. Life is not easy for them there.
The Fulani are the largest migratory group of people in the world, consisting of between 16 to 25 million people (estimates vary widely) spread across sub-Saharan Africa from Mauritania and Senegal to Sudan. In some areas, Fulani who have become Christians have experienced no negative repercussions from family or community members. More often though, decisions to follow Christ have been met with harsh persecution. There are currently no more than a few thousand Fulani Christians - much less than 1% of the total population. Less than 10% of the Fulani have heard the Gospel.
