Islam is one of the largest religions in Nigeria, existing within the borders of the country since the 11th century. It was introduced via trade routes with North Africa and the Senegalese basin, and it was the first monotheistic Abrahamic religion to arrive in Nigeria. Christianity was later introduced in the 15th century by Portuguese missionaries, and grew to be a dominant religion alongside Islam. Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in West Africa, which is concentrated mostly in the northern half of the country.In 2021, the CIA World Factbook estimated that 53.5% of Nigeria's population is Muslim. In 2007, the BBC estimated that slightly over 50% of the population is Christian. Muslims in Nigeria are predominantly Sunnis of the Maliki school of thought. However, there is a signi