Di Federal Government don spend N500 million in 2025 on emergency strategic communications campaign to counter wetin dem call coordinated Western propaganda wey dey claim say Nigeria dey persecute Christians. According to records from GovSpend platform, di money was disbursed on December 19, 2025 under Office of di Special Adviser to di President on Media and Policy Communications.
Di payment record show say di sum was for “Fund to SA to President on Media & Policy Communications for emergency Strategic Communications & Global Media Engagement to counter coordinated Western propaganda against di government on alleged Christian persecution.” Dis expenditure highlight how di government dey invest for strategic communications amid growing international scrutiny over Nigeria security situation and allegations of religious persecution.
Di Federal Government don consistently argue say Nigeria security crisis na from terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts and other criminality, no be policy of religious persecution. Dem maintain say both Christians and Muslims don suffer from di violence. Di government pursue both domestic and international communications strategies to counter narratives about religious violence for Nigeria.
Nigeria efforts to counter allegations of Christian persecution come amid worsening security crisis wey dey attract international concern. Figures show say Nigeria averaged 663 conflict incidents every month, 126 every week, and more dan 21 every day during di period. Fatalities averaged 1,237 deaths monthly, 285 weekly, and about 41 daily. Breakdown of figures show say violence against civilians account for 3,494 incidents, followed by 2,458 battles, 739 strategic developments, 734 protests, 278 riots, and 253 explosions or remote violence incidents.
State-by-state analysis place Borno at di top with 1,218 conflict events, followed by Katsina (958), Zamfara (885), Sokoto (599), Kaduna (390), Benue (377) and Plateau (346). Di figures underscore di scale of Nigeria security challenges, including insurgency, armed banditry, farmer-herder clashes, communal violence, separatist attacks and widespread kidnappings for ransom, wey don continue to shape international perceptions of di country human rights and religious freedom record.
President Bola Tinubu don repeatedly pledge to defeat terrorism and banditry. Speaking at di opening of di Second National Economic Council Conference for Abuja earlier dis year, di President say: “I assure you we will win with determination and resilience. We will overcome dis unacceptable terrorism and banditry. It’s not part of our culture. It’s foreign to us.”
While some international advocacy groups don argue say Christians dey disproportionately targeted for parts of Nigeria, di Federal Government don consistently reject allegations of state-backed religious persecution. Dem insist say victims of terrorism, banditry and communal violence include both Christians and Muslims, and say security operations target criminal and terrorist groups irrespective of religious affiliation.
Di United States don also express concern. Senior US officials don criticise Nigerian government over continued “persecution” of Christians, saying authorities still get “more work to do” regarding application of Sharia law for parts of northern Nigeria, while alleging say churches dey burnt and people dey arrested simply for wearing crosses. Di comments were made during a plenary session for di United States, where lawmakers discuss religious persecution and security challenges for Nigeria.
US Ambassador to di United Nations, Mike Waltz, say di administration dey take allegations of Christian persecution for Nigeria “very seriously.” He say: “I have to give credit where credit’s due. Nigeria. Yes, we are taking di persecution of Christians very seriously.” He add say: “They still have some work to do, frankly, in terms of di Sharia law wey dey in place for many of dese local provinces, and make no mistake, churches are being burned, pastors are being executed, people are being arrested literally for just wearing a cross around their neck.”
