The United States House Appropriations Committee will on Tuesday hold a joint congressional briefing to examine allegations of rising violence and the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

US Congressman Riley Moore announced the meeting on X, confirming that Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of its National Security Subcommittee, Mr. Mario Díaz-Balart, will lead the session. He will be joined by other members of the Appropriations Committee, as well as lawmakers from the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees.

The briefing will also feature contributions from representatives of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and other subject-matter experts.

According to the announcement, the session aims “to spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.” It added that the roundtable would gather critical testimony to inform “a comprehensive report – directed by President Trump – on the massacre of Nigerian Christians and the steps Congress can take to support the White House’s efforts to protect vulnerable faith communities worldwide.”

The meeting comes amid ongoing US–Nigeria discussions following a recent surge in terrorist attacks and renewed efforts to strengthen bilateral security cooperation.

Last week, President Bola Tinubu approved the constitution of the Nigerian delegation to the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, part of agreements reached during a recent visit to Washington, DC, by a high-level delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu. According to a statement, the NSA will lead the Nigerian team, supported by senior officials drawn from relevant government institutions.

Nigeria’s security challenges gained international visibility when former US President Donald Trump alleged a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria and threatened to send American troops “guns-a-blazing”. The Federal Government rejected the claim, insisting it was addressing the country’s security concerns.

President Tinubu has repeatedly stated that the safety of Nigerians remains his administration’s top priority and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to religious freedom and tolerance.

On 21 November, the US House Subcommittee on Africa reviewed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). Witnesses at the session presented differing views on the scale and drivers of violence in the country.