US Republican lawmakers submitted a report to the White House this week calling for sweeping actions to end what they describe as the systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The report, by Republicans on the House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs committees, recommends a bilateral security agreement, targeted sanctions, visa restrictions, more international partnerships, and demands for the repeal of sharia and anti-blasphemy laws in up to a dozen northern Nigerian states. These proposals reflect hardening congressional sentiment toward Abuja at a moment when jihadist and bandit violence has impacted millions across the region.
There have also been questions about the report’s conclusions, with ONE Campaign’s Doug Anderson telling Semafor that the report’s recommendations — like adequate staffing at US diplomatic posts in Nigeria — would rely on the same foreign policy mechanisms that have been cut by the Trump administration. “This report underscores the value of those traditional tools.”
Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, told Semafor that “there should be more of a push for [the US and Nigeria] to work together to address these root causes of insecurity.”