Christian Discrimination in Nigeria: A Structural and Socio-Political Analysis

Despite Nigeria's constitution guaranteeing religious freedom, Christian communities, especially in the northern and Middle Belt regions, endure systemic discrimination that transcends mere overt violence. This study use qualitative content analysis to investigate the structural, legal, and socio-cultural factors contributing to the marginalization of Christians in Nigeria from 2010 to 2024. The study, informed by reports from NGOs, legal documents, media coverage, and academic literature, delineates four principal themes: religiously motivated violence, legal and political exclusion, land and resource disparity, and educational discrimination. The approach is based on structural violence theory and conflict theory to demonstrate how institutional dynamics and socio-religious hierarchies sustain Christian discrimination. The article contends that sustainable religious cohabitation in Nigeria necessitates tackling not only extremist violence but also the underlying legal and administrative frameworks that disadvantage Christian communities.