President Bola Tinubu’s administration faces heightened scrutiny as the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa prepares to hold a congressional hearing on Thursday, November 12, 2026, examining Nigeria’s security measures and its response to Christian persecution.
Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith will lead the session, which will focus on the federal government’s handling of religious violence perpetrated by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, alongside ongoing security challenges across the Middle Belt.
According to a statement released on Monday by Smith’s office, the session—titled “One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt”—will evaluate measures taken by the Nigerian government to halt religious persecution and prosecute perpetrators of violence.
The proceedings will additionally explore potential avenues for U.S. assistance to help Nigerian authorities combat and prevent violence targeting both Christian and non-radical Muslim communities.
This session marks the 14th congressional hearing focused on Christian persecution in Nigeria led by Smith, a Republican representative from New Jersey.
Led by the New Jersey Republican, this session marks the 14th congressional hearing focused on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The first panel will feature Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia alongside Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Riley Barnes.
The second panel will comprise Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown, Center for Strategic and International Studies Africa Program Director and Senior Fellow Oge Onubogu, and Hudson Institute Center for Religious Freedom Director and Senior Fellow Nina Shea.
Scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, the proceedings will also be broadcast live on YouTube.
Backstory…
The latest development follows a series of diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the United States after President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) on October 31, 2025, over allegations of widespread persecution and killings of Christians.
Trump had accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities and directed US lawmakers to investigate the violence and recommend measures to address it.
The designation was accompanied by threats of sanctions and possible military intervention, which the Nigerian government rejected, maintaining that insecurity affects both Christians and Muslims and is driven by terrorism, banditry and other criminal activities.
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