US says Nigeria has made insufficient progress in protecting Christian communities

Washington assessed Abuja's efforts as insufficient

The United States stated that Nigeria has not made sufficient progress in halting attacks on Christian communities and called on the government to accelerate security operations and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. This assessment was given by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia on Thursday at a congressional hearingdedicated to violence in Nigeria, Anadolu reports.

'There has been no progress'

Garcia acknowledged that the Nigerian authorities are taking steps in response to Washington's concerns, but said these measures have not yet produced significant results. 'There has been no progress,' he told lawmakers, adding that Nigeria's security services are still developing and are not being deployed effectively or quickly enough. As evidence of the ongoing violence despite diplomatic contacts, he cited attacks on Christian communities in Kaduna State in July and killings in Plateau State in August and September.

Context: CPC status and congressional questions

The hearing took place after US President Donald Trump in October placed Nigeria on the list of 'Countries of Particular Concern' (CPC) over accusations of religious persecution and violence against Christian communities. Republican Congressman Riley Moore questioned the Nigerian government's efforts to dismantle strongholds of armed groups and kidnapping camps, especially in Benue and Plateau States. He criticized the exclusion of these two states from Nigeria's new forest guard program despite ongoing attacks, and noted that the 1,000 security personnel approved by the Nigerian president for Plateau State have still not been deployed. In Moore's view, Washington should maintain the CPC status until Nigeria demonstrates progress in combating violence.

Joint working group and American assistance

Garcia said that Washington has created a joint US-Nigeria working group to monitor Abuja's fulfillment of its commitments: increasing the deployment of security forces in vulnerable communities, responding faster to early warnings, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and expanding military cooperation. The US is also training and equipping Nigerian police units responsible for protecting vulnerable communities, has expanded biometric data sharing to identify suspects, and is working with Nigerian financial institutions on measures to dismantle terrorist financing networks. Nigeria is expected to deliver measurable improvements — in protecting civilians, prosecuting those responsible, and the safe voluntary return of internally displaced persons. At the same time, Garcia acknowledged that 'Nigeria's security architecture remains overstretched' and that access to justice in parts of the Middle Belt is limited.