Nigeria engages U.S. diplomatically over religious freedom designation — FG
Story by Okafor Vivian
The Federal Government has confirmed that it has opened diplomatic channels with the United States following Washington’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” on religious freedom.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Idris said the matter was discussed during the FEC meeting, assuring that Nigeria was addressing the concerns raised by the U.S. government while safeguarding the nation’s dignity and stability.
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“Yes, indeed, that came up during deliberations at the Federal Executive Council meeting. The government of Nigeria is responding to the genuine concerns raised. The politics of it aside, we genuinely are taking the issues seriously,” he stated.
He stressed that the Tinubu administration was not alarmed by the U.S. action but was addressing security and religious freedom issues with maturity and calm.
“Let me say that the government of Nigeria is very stable. The President is calm, and the Federal Executive Council members are calm. Are there security challenges in parts of this country? Yes. But is the government doing anything to address them? Yes, indeed,” Idris added.
The minister noted that Nigeria was engaging the U.S. and other international partners diplomatically, emphasizing that terrorism and violent extremism are global problems that demand cross-border cooperation.
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“We have porous borders, and that is why we are cooperating with our regional and international partners, including the United States. Channels have been opened, and we prefer to resolve this diplomatically,” he said.
Idris reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a country of religious tolerance, where every citizen is guaranteed freedom of worship under the Constitution.
“The killing of even one Nigerian citizen is of concern to the government. Our Constitution guarantees everyone the right to worship freely, and we remain committed to upholding that,” he stated.
He assured Nigerians and the international community that the government was handling all security and human rights concerns responsibly and without panic.
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“There is no panic mode here. We are responding responsibly, steadily, and in the interest of our country,” Idris concluded.
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