The United States (U.S) Department of State has officially announced a new $3.5m funding opportunity dedicated to monitoring religious persecution in Nigeria.
The $3.5m funding for monitoring religious persecution in Nigeria, launched through the Office of International Religious Freedom, seeks to establish a more robust, evidence-based tracking system to document human rights abuses and attacks against various faith communities across the West African nation.
The grant arrives amid heightened scrutiny over Nigeria’s worsening security landscape.
According to the notice of funding opportunity, the project will run between 24 and 48 months, allowing independent civil society organizations and human rights groups to apply for financial support to scale up their tracking efforts.
U.S officials hope that consistent, verified reporting will compel the Nigerian government to act more decisively against perpetrators of sectarian violence.
For years, local and international observers have warned that Nigeria is becoming one of the most volatile regions globally for religious minorities.
Recent data from the U.S Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) highlights severe spikes in violence, particularly affecting Christian communities in the Middle Belt and parts of the north, as well as moderate Muslim populations targeted by insurgent factions.
According to the notice of funding opportunity released on May 22, 2026, the State Department stated that the project aimed to enhance efforts to monitor and document abuses committed by both state and non-state actors in Nigeria.
“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, for accountability, advocacy, and memorialisation,” the notice stated.
The document referenced violence linked to Boko Haram, Fulani ethnic militias, and other armed groups, saying attacks have affected both Christians and Muslims.
“Documenters, human rights and religious freedom advocates, religious leaders and community members, academics, journalists, and survivors have contributed to an evidence base that illustrates the extreme levels of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, Fulani ethnic militias, and other armed actors against Christians and Muslims,” the notice said.
The U.S government also criticised what it described as inadequate responses by Nigerian authorities to attacks on faith communities.
“Civil society reports indicate that authorities regularly fail to respond in a timely or effective manner to violent attacks against civilians and faith communities, and particularly attacks against Christians,” the document stated.
It added, “This leads to widespread impunity for violence which encourages more violence, leading to further abuses and displacements.”
The notice further alleged that some security personnel had raided places of worship while searching for suspected criminals.
“There are also credible reports of Nigerian security personnel raiding places of worship and injuring clergy and congregants in search of alleged criminals,” it said.
The State Department said the funding initiative followed President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom issues.
“President Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern placed a spotlight on the severity of these longstanding and worsening problems,” the document stated.
The IRF said proposals submitted under the programme should aim to improve accountability for violations through “monitoring, documenting, and reporting of such abuses committed by either state or non-state actors in Nigeria.”
Applicants are expected to prioritise activities in the Middle Belt and identify at least four states where projects would be implemented.
The funding opportunity is open to foreign and U.S-based non-profit organisations, public international organisations, higher education institutions, and for-profit entities, although the department said it prefers working with non-profit groups.
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, July 9, 2026.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this development comes after Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in November 2025 over the alleged persecution of Christians.
However, the Federal Government has rejected allegations of religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity affected all citizens regardless of faith, while also stating continued cooperation with the U.S on counterterrorism and security reforms.
