A United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has said Christians in Nigeria continue to face severe violence, calling for sustained efforts by the US government, lawmakers and religious organisations to protect Christian communities.
Moore made the remarks in a post on his X account on the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom.
The American lawmaker said more needed to be done to address attacks against Christians in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
He also commended Trump, Republican lawmakers in the US House of Representatives and faith-based organisations for their efforts towards addressing the situation.
According to Moore, pressure from Republican lawmakers seeking to attach conditions to US assistance to Nigeria, alongside advocacy by religious organisations, had begun to make a difference.
He cited what he described as the first Christmas in recent memory without a massacre of Christians as an indication of progress.
“There is much more work to be done, but the government of Nigeria has shown signs of a willingness to address the violence against our brothers and sisters in Christ,” he stated.
Nigeria was first designated a Country of Particular Concern by the Trump administration in 2020 over alleged religious freedom violations. The designation was subsequently removed in 2021 by the administration of former US President Joe Biden before Trump reinstated it in November 2025.
The designation allows the US government to consider measures such as diplomatic pressure, sanctions and restrictions on certain forms of assistance against countries found to have engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
Following the redesignation, some Republican lawmakers pushed for conditions to be attached to US assistance to Nigeria, requiring demonstrable steps by the Federal Government to protect Christian communities and prosecute perpetrators of religiously motivated violence.
However, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected the characterisation of the country’s security challenges as a systematic campaign against Christians.
The Federal Government maintains that insecurity affects both Christians and Muslims and is driven by several factors, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and farmer-herder conflicts.
It has also expressed willingness to work with the United States and other international partners to address insecurity and protect vulnerable communities across the country.
Moore’s latest comments indicate that the protection of Christians in Nigeria remains a subject of concern among some American lawmakers, one year after the country’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern.
