Washington seeks to strengthen documentation of faith-based attacks, cites weak response by Nigerian authorities

The United States Department of State has unveiled a $3.5 million funding opportunity aimed at strengthening the documentation and reporting of religious freedom violations in Nigeria.

The initiative, announced by the Office of International Religious Freedom under the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, is designed to enhance the monitoring of attacks linked to religion and belief across the country.

According to the announcement, the programme will support civil society organisations and other eligible groups in documenting abuses carried out by both state and non-state actors.

The US government also raised concerns over what it described as slow and ineffective responses by Nigerian authorities to incidents of violence targeting civilians and religious communities.

It noted that civil society reports frequently highlight delays in official intervention, particularly in cases involving attacks on Christian populations.

The funding scheme is expected to run for a period of 24 to 48 months and will prioritise the Middle Belt region, alongside at least four Nigerian states identified for project implementation.