To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to help protect Christians facing persecution in Nigeria.
Answered on
7 March 2025
The UK Government is committed to upholding the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). This includes advocating for the protections of all vulnerable communities including religious minorities through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as raising FoRB bilaterally with the Government of Nigeria and other influential parties. The UK also supports programmes working to address the complex root causes of intercommunal violence in Nigeria through locally led peace-building efforts. This support aims to reduce intercommunal tensions by improving access to security and justice, and natural resource management in specific areas across northern Nigeria. In addition, the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) works with Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems.