US Government Commends Tinubu on Religious Violence Efforts

The US government has reported that President Tinubu's administration has taken religious violence in Nigeria more seriously following the redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by President Donald Trump. This disclosure was made during a congressional hearing on November 12, organized by the Africa Subcommittee of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Congressman Chris Smith.

Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, stated that while there have been some improvements, the Nigerian government still has considerable work to do to protect affected communities and ensure justice for violence perpetrators. The US expects measurable improvements, particularly in the Middle Belt, through enhanced security deployments and timely responses to threats.

Garcia outlined a coordinated strategy to strengthen Nigeria’s security institutions, including building capacity, improving intelligence gathering, and disrupting terrorist funding. Despite reported progress, American officials expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of improvements during the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group's second session.