The House of Representatives is rejecting narratives that interprets Nigeria’s security challenges as religiously motivated or sponsored.
This position comes in response to a bill introduced in the United States Congress in March 11, 2025.
Speaking during the debate, Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House, highlighted that U.S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had recently recommended Nigeria for designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing persistent violations and alleged state of failures to protect citizens from non-state actors.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of thought conscience and religion prohibits the adoption of a state religion, and that successive administrations, security agencies,, faith leaders and civil society continue to protect worshippers and prosecute offenders, a position supported by the US Department of State’s 2023 Country Chapter and earlier reports.
The House Majority Leader cautioned that the bill, which has passed second reading in U.S. Senate could compel Nigeria to expend considerable resource to reverse its effect If enacted, saying Nigerians are more concerned with economic, social, and security challenges than with religious persecution, and warned of an underlying agenda targeting the country’s democratic progress.
This resolution seeks to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for allegedly engaging in, and tolerating, systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
In reaction, the House mandates relevant government agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to compile and transmit empirical evidence that counters the claims made in the U.S. bill. The bill emerges amid international concerns about “rising anti-Christian” incidents in Nigeria -narrative repeatedly rejected by the federal government
-9News Nigeria.
