The Federal Government on Monday said the recent diplomatic disagreement with the United States over alleged religious violence in Nigeria has been largely resolved through diplomatic engagement.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this at a year-end news conference in Abuja, saying discussions with Washington had resulted in improved understanding and a strengthened bilateral relationship.
According to Idris, the issue arose after former US President Donald Trump, in October and November, threatened military intervention, alleging that Christians in Nigeria were facing an “existential threat” amounting to “genocide”.
While the comments were welcomed by some groups, Vanguard reports, others warned that they risked inflaming religious tensions in Nigeria, a country with a history of sectarian violence.
Nigeria’s government, alongside independent analysts, has consistently rejected attempts to frame the country’s insecurity as religious persecution.
They argue that such narratives, often promoted by Christian advocacy groups in the United States and Europe as well as Nigerian separatist movements with lobbying offices in Washington, oversimplify a complex security situation.
Idris said the government engaged the United States firmly but respectfully, a process he said culminated in renewed cooperation between both countries.
He added that Nigeria recently hosted a US congressional delegation as part of efforts to deepen dialogue.
Despite this engagement, Nigeria remains on Washington’s list of countries of “particular concern” over alleged religious freedom violations. The country was also affected last week by new visa and immigration restrictions announced by the Trump administration.
However, there are signs of improving security cooperation, with analysts reporting an increase in US reconnaissance flights over known jihadist strongholds in Nigeria.
Nigeria is battling multiple armed conflicts across different regions. These include a long-running jihadist insurgency in the North-East, criminal banditry involving mass kidnappings in the North-West, and recurring clashes between predominantly Muslim herders and mostly Christian farmers in the North-Central region.
Experts maintain that the latter conflict is driven mainly by competition over land and resources rather than religion.
The minister also defended a recent aid agreement under which the United States will provide $2.1 billion to Nigeria. The US State Department said the assistance would place “a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based health care providers”.
Idris dismissed concerns over the characterisation, insisting that the aid would benefit all Nigerians regardless of religion.
“Every Nigerian is going to be a beneficiary of this arrangement,” he said.
