By Our Correspondent
The United States Congress will on Thursday, November 12, 2026 hold another hearing on Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, with lawmakers set to scrutinise the Federal Government’s response to attacks on Christian communities, the protection of vulnerable populations and escalating violence in the Middle Belt, barely two months before Nigeria’s January 16, 2027 general election.
The hearing, titled “One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt,” will be chaired by Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. It will examine the government’s efforts to prevent attacks, prosecute perpetrators and protect affected communities, as well as possible further US intervention. Smith’s office reportedly described it as his 14th congressional hearing on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Witnesses will include Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Riley Barnes, Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour. Others are Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute, Ryan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Open Doors US, and Oge Onubogu, Director and Senior Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. The hearing is scheduled for 11am at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, and will be streamed online.
The renewed congressional scrutiny follows President Donald Trump’s October 2025 redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, over alleged violations of religious freedom. Nigeria was previously placed on the US religious freedom watchlist in 2019 and designated a CPC in 2020, before the Biden administration removed it from the list. Trump’s latest designation escalated tensions, particularly after his threats of possible military action. On December 25, 2025, US forces carried out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria, followed by further counterterrorism operations in coordination with Nigerian forces.
Beyond diplomatic pressure, Washington has long provided Nigeria with military training, intelligence and equipment, including the $593 million A-29 Super Tucano aircraft deal. Following the latest CPC designation, both countries established a joint working group to strengthen security cooperation, protect vulnerable communities and improve accountability for attacks. At its second meeting in August 2026, the group reviewed counterterrorism prosecutions, the resettlement of displaced persons and military cooperation.
The Federal Government has consistently rejected the characterisation of Nigeria’s security crisis as exclusively religious, insisting that terrorists, bandits and other armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. It has maintained that protecting citizens of all faiths remains its responsibility and welcomed constructive American assistance. Today’s hearing could, however, intensify pressure on the Tinubu administration to demonstrate measurable progress in protecting communities and bringing perpetrators to justice.
The timing is particularly significant as Nigeria approaches its January 16 presidential and National Assembly elections. Security and religious freedom could become more prominent campaign issues, while the outcome of the hearing may influence Washington’s future diplomatic, military and security engagement with Abuja.
For the Tinubu administration, the challenge is not only to defend its record but to demonstrate that it can protect Nigerians, regardless of their religion or where they live.