Witnesses scheduled to appear before the United States Congress on Wednesday have warned that Nigeria could face deeper religious tensions if ongoing violence and insecurity are not addressed, describing the country as a significant flashpoint in the global religious freedom debate.
The concerns are contained in written testimonies released ahead of a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa and Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
The session, titled “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World,” is set to examine threats to freedom of belief in several regions.
Among the witnesses expected to testify are former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback; Principal Advisor for Global Religious Freedom at the US State Department, Mark Walker; Grace Drexel, daughter of a detained Chinese pastor; and Dr. Stephen Schneck, former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
In his prepared remarks, Brownback described Nigeria as “the deadliest place on the planet to be a Christian,” warning that patterns of violence, displacement, and insecurity point to a potentially worsening religious crisis.
“Early warning signs of a Muslim-on-Christian war are brewing across Africa, and Nigeria sits at the centre of that danger,” Brownback wrote, adding that faith communities under threat globally are “America’s greatest allies in the spread of freedom.”
Brownback also raised concerns about foreign actors in Nigeria’s security environment, cautioning that involvement from countries such as China, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia could further complicate stability if not carefully monitored.
In a separate submission, Schneck said freedom of religion or belief is facing a “historic crisis” worldwide, citing Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan as examples where weak governance and insecurity have created dangerous conditions for religious communities.
“Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan are current examples of such conditions threatening freedom of religion or belief,” Schneck wrote in his personal capacity.
He criticised what he described as gaps in the implementation of the United States’ International Religious Freedom Act, arguing that Washington’s actions have not matched its rhetoric.
“If we are to take the International Religious Freedom Act as our measure, then the United States is not doing enough. We have been long on rhetoric and short on substance,” Schneck said.
The former USCIRF chair also warned against focusing advocacy solely on Christians, stressing that international religious freedom protections apply to all faiths.
The renewed congressional attention follows Nigeria’s recent redesignation by US President Donald Trump as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom.
The designation sparked diplomatic engagement between the two countries, including security consultations and meetings between US officials and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
While US lawmakers examine the issue, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of targeted religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity in the country affects citizens across religious and ethnic lines.
The outcome of the hearing is expected to influence further US legislative and diplomatic engagement on religious freedom issues in Nigeria and other countries identified as high-risk.