The United States House Appropriations Committee will host a joint congressional briefing on Tuesday to examine the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
US Congressman Riley Moore confirmed the session on X, noting that House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chair Mario Díaz-Balart will lead the briefing. He will be joined by colleagues from the Appropriations Committee, as well as members of the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees.
Representatives from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and other experts will also provide input. According to the announcement, the session aims “to spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria” and to gather testimony for a comprehensive report directed by former President Donald Trump on the massacre of Nigerian Christians and potential congressional actions to support the White House’s efforts to protect vulnerable faith communities worldwide.
The briefing comes amid ongoing US-Nigeria discussions following a recent surge in terrorist attacks, highlighting efforts to strengthen bilateral security cooperation. Last week, President Bola Tinubu approved the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, part of steps to deepen collaboration on security challenges. The group’s Nigerian delegation, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, will include senior officials from relevant government agencies.
Nigeria’s security situation gained international attention when former President Trump raised the alarm over the alleged genocide of Christians in the country, even threatening to deploy US forces. The Nigerian government refuted the claim, stressing that it is addressing the security challenges and reaffirming its commitment to religious freedom and the safety of its citizens.
On November 21, the US House Subcommittee on Africa reviewed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), during which witnesses offered divergent views on the killings in the country.
