The United States Congress is set to hold another hearing on alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria, with lawmakers expected to assess the Nigerian government’s efforts to protect vulnerable communities and tackle insecurity in the country’s Middle Belt.
The hearing, scheduled for Thursday, November 12, will be chaired by Chris Smith, chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.
According to reports, the session will focus on religious violence by extremist groups, including Boko Haram, and the Nigerian government’s response to attacks on communities.
Titled “One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt”, the hearing will examine measures taken by Nigerian authorities to address religious persecution and bring those responsible for violence to justice.
Lawmakers will also consider possible actions by the United States to ensure that Nigerian authorities prevent attacks against Christians and non-radical Muslim communities.
Smith, a Republican representative from New Jersey, will lead his 14th congressional hearing on allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
The first panel of witnesses will feature Frank Garcia, assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and Riley Barnes, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labour.
The second panel will include Nina Shea, senior fellow and director of the Centre for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute; Ryan Brown, chief executive officer of Open Doors US; and Oge Onubogu, director and senior fellow of the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, and will be streamed live on YouTube.
Other members of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa are also expected to participate.
Smith has been among US lawmakers raising concerns over allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
In 2025, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over allegations of religious persecution.
The development was followed by a US military strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day, 2025.
Nigeria and the United States have since established a military partnership targeting terrorist groups operating in the country’s northern region.
