Protect Christians from attacks, US official urges Nigeria

By Ebunoluwa Sessou

The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, has urged the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to protect Christian communities from attacks and ensure the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes.
Garcia made the call during a visit to Abuja, where he held a series of high-level meetings with senior Nigerian government officials aimed at strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria strategic partnership in areas including security cooperation, justice sector reform, digital transformation, commercial diplomacy and regional stability.
According to a statement on the visit, Garcia met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi; the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
During discussions on defence and security, the U.S. official welcomed Nigeria’s increased engagement under the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group (JWG), established to address concerns linked to Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern designation.
However, Garcia stressed that more must be done to safeguard Christian communities from violent attacks, while calling for greater commitment and resources toward facilitating the safe return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
He expressed optimism ahead of the next meeting of the Joint Working Group, scheduled for August in Washington, D.C., where both countries are expected to review progress in the agreed areas of cooperation.
Garcia’s meeting with the Attorney General focused on strengthening collaboration in prosecuting Islamic terrorism-related cases, improving criminal accountability, and promoting religious freedom.
In separate talks with the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, discussions centred on expanding opportunities for U.S. investment and increasing private sector participation in Nigeria’s rapidly growing digital economy.
As part of his engagements, Garcia also met with senior executives of leading U.S. energy and technology companies to explore ways to improve Nigeria’s business environment and deepen investment opportunities between the two countries.
The visit underscored ongoing efforts by both governments to deepen bilateral cooperation on security, governance, economic growth and regional stability.