Proposed Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act seeks tougher U.S. oversight, demands report on religious violence, mass atrocities.

United States lawmakers have unveiled fresh legislation aimed at tackling religious persecution in Nigeria, with a strong focus on protecting Christian communities and holding the Nigerian government accountable.

The proposed bill, titled the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (HR 7457), was introduced by Representative Riley Moore (R-WV) alongside Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.

According to a press release issued Tuesday by Rep. Moore, the bill mandates the U.S. Secretary of State to submit a comprehensive report to Congress detailing efforts to combat religious violence and mass atrocities in Nigeria. The report would assess both the scale of the crisis and measures being taken to address it.

Announcing the legislation, Moore said his push for action was informed by firsthand experience in Nigeria.

“For years, Christians in Nigeria have faced unspeakable violence — churches burned, villages destroyed, families slaughtered — while the global community looked away,” Moore said.

He added that as part of an investigation requested by President Donald Trump, he traveled to Nigeria where he witnessed the severity of the crisis and the country’s broader security challenges.

“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,” Moore stated.

Rep. Smith, a long-time advocate on international religious freedom who has chaired 13 congressional hearings on religious persecution in Nigeria, accused Nigerian authorities of downplaying the crisis.

“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.

The bill signals renewed congressional scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation and religious freedom record, and could shape future U.S. diplomatic engagement with Africa’s most populous nation.