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The United States Department of State has announced a $3.5 million funding initiative, estimated at about ₦5 billion, aimed at improving the monitoring, documentation, and reporting of religious freedom violations and violence across Nigeria. The programme, unveiled through the Office of International Religious Freedom under the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, seeks to support organisations capable of gathering credible evidence and strengthening accountability for abuses linked to religion and belief.
According to the funding notice, the project will run for between two and four years and is expected to support efforts to document violations committed by both state and non-state actors. The US government said the initiative would help improve reporting on attacks affecting faith communities, support advocacy efforts, and preserve records for accountability and memorialisation purposes. Applicants are expected to focus particularly on Nigeria’s Middle Belt region and identify at least four states where project activities will be carried out.
The State Department referenced years of violence involving groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and other armed actors, noting that both Christians and Muslims have been affected. The funding announcement also expressed concern about what it described as inadequate responses to attacks on faith communities, arguing that impunity has contributed to continued violence and displacement in some parts of the country.
The announcement comes amid increased international attention on religious freedom and insecurity in Nigeria following President Donald Trump’s decision in 2025 to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom issues. However, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected allegations that violence in the country is driven primarily by religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity affects citizens across different faiths and ethnic groups. Nigerian authorities have also emphasized ongoing cooperation with the United States and other international partners on counterterrorism operations, security reforms, and efforts to combat violent extremism nationwide.
