The United States government has earmarked $3.5 million (about N5 billion) to support efforts aimed at tracking, documenting and reporting incidents of religious violence and abuses in Nigeria.
The funding initiative was announced by the Office of International Religious Freedom, a unit under the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour. It is intended to strengthen the capacity of organisations involved in monitoring violations of religious freedom across the country.
According to a funding notice issued on May 22, 2026, the programme is expected to last between two and four years, with one successful applicant to receive support through either a grant or cooperative agreement.
The US said the project seeks to improve the collection of evidence and reporting on abuses committed by both government and non-government actors, while promoting accountability, advocacy and historical documentation of such incidents.
“The Office of International Religious Freedom announces an open competition for organisations interested in submitting applications for projects that improve documentation and reporting efforts on religious freedom abuses in Nigeria,” the notice stated.
The document highlighted the impact of violence attributed to insurgent and armed groups, including Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa and Fulani ethnic militias, noting that both Christian and Muslim communities have suffered attacks.
It added that a range of stakeholders—including human rights advocates, religious leaders, journalists, academics, survivors and community members—have contributed to building evidence of the scale of violence linked to these groups.
The State Department further expressed concern over what it described as the inadequate response of Nigerian authorities to attacks targeting civilians and religious communities.
According to the notice, reports from civil society organisations indicate that security agencies and government institutions often fail to respond promptly or effectively to violent incidents, particularly those affecting Christian communities.
The US maintained that such lapses have contributed to a culture of impunity, allowing perpetrators to evade accountability and creating conditions for continued violence, human rights abuses and displacement of affected populations.