A United Nations expert on freedom of religion and belief Nazila Ghanea, began a two-week visit to Nigeria on Monday, amid renewed international scrutiny of religious violence and allegations of Christian persecution in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nazila Ghanea, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, is scheduled to visit Abuja, Kano and Jos during the mission, which the United Nations said would focus on identifying existing and emerging challenges to religious freedom.
Ghanea is expected to present her findings and recommendations following the conclusion of her visit.
The visit follows months of diplomatic debate over claims that Christians face systematic persecution in Nigeria, allegations strongly rejected by the Nigerian government and disputed by many independent researchers. The issue gained international attention in 2025 when U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians, while Washington increased military cooperation with Abuja as part of efforts to combat Islamist insurgencies linked to Islamic State and Boko Haram.
Security analysts and researchers say the situation is more complex than a simple religious divide. Islamist militant groups operate mainly in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north, where many of their victims are also Muslims.
Boko Haram was blamed for suicide bombings in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria in March and December that targeted a crowded market and a mosque, respectively.
Nigeria has also faced criticism over blasphemy laws in several northern states that operate under Islamic legal codes alongside the country’s secular legal system.
The nation home to about 230 million people is broadly divided between a largely Christian south and a predominantly Muslim north, although millions of citizens of different faiths live peacefully together across the country.
Nevertheless, Nigeria has experience outbreaks of sectarian and communal violence. Major clashes have occurred in cities such as Jos, Mangu, Plateau State.
The Nigerian government has consistently denied accusations of Christian persecution or genocide, arguing that insecurity affects communities across religious lines.
Long-running conflicts between predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and largely Christian farming communities have been blamed as a major source of violence.
These clashes are said to be driven primarily by competition for scarce land and resources, population growth, climate pressures and weak law enforcement rather than religious ideology.
While Nigeria has used criticism from Washington to strengthen military cooperation against jihadist groups, senior U.S. officials have continued to express concerns that Christian communities remain particularly vulnerable in some parts of the country.