Two United States Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a detailed report to Congress on efforts to address religious persecution and violence in Nigeria.
The proposed legislation, titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (HR 7457), was introduced by Rep. Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.
This was contained in a press release issued on Tuesday by US lawmaker Riley Moore on his official website.
According to the sponsors, the bill mandates a comprehensive assessment of actions taken by both the United States and the Nigerian government to address violence affecting Christians and other communities in Nigeria.
The legislation is co-sponsored by House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-Florida), Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security and Related Programs Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Florida), and Foreign Affairs South and East Asia Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga (R-Michigan).
The bill follows renewed attention from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Moore said he visited Nigeria as part of an investigation requested by Trump and described the security challenges facing the country. He said the legislation seeks to ensure that the United States remains engaged on the issue while supporting Nigeria in addressing its security concerns.
He said, “For years, Christians in Nigeria have faced unspeakable violence—churches burned, villages destroyed, families slaughtered—while the global community looked away. As part of the investigation President Trump asked me to lead, I visited Nigeria and witnessed firsthand the horrors our brothers and sisters in Christ face and saw the security challenges Nigeria faces.
“That is why I am proud to introduce the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 with Representative Chris Smith. This legislation makes clear that the United States stands with our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ and seeks to help Nigeria address its many challenges.”
Smith, who said he has chaired 13 congressional hearings on religious persecution in Nigeria, stated that the CPC designation places responsibility on the U.S. government to assess Nigeria’s response to violence linked to extremist groups, including Boko Haram.
“The Nigerian government’s blatant denial of the religious persecution occurring within its borders has only enabled the religious-based violence in the country to fester, with Christian deaths and church attacks reaching unprecedented numbers,” Smith said.
“Now that President Trump has rightly redesignated Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ the United States has a responsibility to do its due diligence in ensuring that the Nigerian government is taking the proper steps to address and punish the systemic violence against Christians and non-radical Muslims by Islamist extremists.”
He warned that failure to act would only embolden attackers, adding that the U.S. must “remain steadfast in its mission to promote and protect religious freedoms throughout the globe.”
If approved, the legislation would mandate the U.S. State Department to submit a detailed report evaluating Nigeria’s adherence to international religious freedom standards. The report would also assess conditions of internally displaced persons, the enforcement of blasphemy laws, the scope of U.S. security assistance, and measures taken to prosecute offenders and dismantle extremist networks.
The proposal reflects renewed pressure from U.S. lawmakers urging Nigeria to demonstrate tangible efforts in safeguarding religious freedom and addressing violence attributed to extremist groups.
In November 2025, former President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, a classification that permits the U.S. executive branch to impose diplomatic or economic measures.