The United States House of Representatives will on Thursday, November 12, 2026, examine Nigeria’s efforts to protect Christian communities and address insecurity in the Middle Belt.
The hearing will be chaired by Republican Congressman Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. His office announced the session on Monday, November 9, following the publication of a formal notice on November 5.
Titled One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt, the session is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC.
Lawmakers will assess the government’s response to attacks on Christian communities, extremist violence and efforts to prosecute perpetrators. They will also consider measures to strengthen the protection of vulnerable populations.
The first panel will feature Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Riley Barnes, Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.
The second will comprise Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute; Ryan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Open Doors US; and Oge Onubogu, Director and Senior Fellow of the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
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According to Smith’s office, the session will be his 14th congressional hearing on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
It follows President Donald Trump’s October 31, 2025, redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations and a subsequent congressional hearing chaired by Smith on November 20, 2025.
The designation also prompted bilateral engagement through a US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, which held its first meeting in Abuja on January 22, 2026, followed by another round of talks in Washington on August 12.
The discussions addressed religious freedom, counterterrorism cooperation and security challenges.
Thursday’s hearing will provide lawmakers an opportunity to assess Nigeria’s progress since the designation and review the impact of subsequent diplomatic engagements.
The proceedings will be streamed live on YouTube.