The Director of the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Oge Onubogu, says branding Nigeria’s insecurity as Christian persecution oversimplifies a complex situation.

Onubogu spoke on Thursday during a U.S. Congress hearing by the House Subcommittee on Africa, to examine President Donald Trump’s decision to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern list.

She recalled her upbringing in Jos and her family’s history in Christian missionary work and warned against a narrow narrative that reduces the crisis to Christian persecution.

“A narrow narrative that frames Nigeria’s security situation solely as the persecution of Christians oversimplifies the issue.

“Religious and ethnic violence is driven more by governance failures and worsened by hate speech and conspiracy theories,” she said.

Onubogu told the committee that insecurity in Nigeria stems from layered governance failures, historical grievances, and social tensions rather than a single religious narrative.

She noted that U.S.–Nigeria relations remain complicated despite shared interests in counterterrorism and economic development. She added that Nigeria holds significant regional influence but faces persistent instability.

“Nigeria’s instability stems from a key shortcoming. Despite 64 years of independence, it has yet to establish a national identity grounded in basic freedoms and dignity,” she said.

The CSIS Africa director explained that religion, ethnicity, and language continue to shape identity more than nationality. She said understanding Nigeria’s violence requires looking beyond its apparent religious framing.

She described Nigeria’s crisis as a mix “of religious extremism, banditry, criminality, resource competition, communal conflict, and separatist agitation.” She warned that religion will continue to influence politics ahead of the 2027 elections.

She criticised claims by “the Trump administration that Nigeria is permitting targeted killings of Christians,” arguing that such assertions distract from the wider realities of extremist violence.

Onubogu also cautioned strongly against military intervention and noted that any unilateral U.S. military action “would likely endanger the very Christians it aims to protect” and deepen Nigeria’s religious divisions.

She urged the United States to avoid “reactive quick-win actions” and adopt a wider approach.

Her recommendations included “engaging with communities of all faiths, supporting moderate leaders, tying security assistance to governance reforms, and working more closely with state and local authorities,” and also the “revival of a bipartisan U.S. Congressional Caucus on Nigeria.”

The CSIS Africa director further recommended that President Bola Tinubu should appoint “a capable Nigerian ambassador to the US” to address mass killings and insecurity in the country.

Her remarks came amid reports that the Pentagon has begun contingency planning after Trump threatened unilateral action against Islamist violence in northern Nigeria.

The hearing, chaired by Rep. Chris Smith, also featured Nigerian Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and religious-freedom advocate Nina Shea. Both witnesses called for stronger U.S. measures to address what they described as targeted persecution of Christians.

The controversy escalated after Trump reinstated Nigeria on the CPC list on October 31. He alleged systematic persecution of Christians and confirmed that military options were under consideration.

Trump’s threats follow accusations of Nigerian government inaction against Islamist attacks. The Nigerian government has firmly rejected Trump’s claims.

President Bola Tinubu stated that Nigeria is a democracy that protects religious freedom and that describing the country “as religiously intolerant does not reflect its reality.”

Nigeria was first declared a CPC in 2020 under Trump, but ex-President Joe Biden removed the designation shortly after taking office. (Channels TV)