By Muhammad Mamman
Canada has formally aligned with the United States in condemning what both nations say is the systematic targeting of Christian communities in Nigeria.
The Canadian government, speaking through its foreign affairs office, echoed the U.S. characterization of the violence as tantamount to genocide — marking a rare moment of unified Western public rebuke toward Nigeria’s handling of religiously tinged violence.
U.S. lawmakers had already amplified allegations of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, citing dozens of attacks against churches and Christian communities. Canada’s decision to join that voice adds international heft to the accusations.
Officials in Abuja swiftly rejected the claims. Nigeria’s presidential spokesman described U.S. and Canadian warnings as misleading and rooted in outdated intelligence, emphasising that violence in Nigeria affects both Christians and Muslims alike, and is driven more by geography, banditry and insurgency than by religious targeting.
Analysts note the fallout could be significant: The joint Canadian-U.S. condemnation puts Nigeria’s security cooperation, foreign aid flows and international reputation at risk. At the heart of the dispute is not just the data about killings, but how those killings are being framed. While Christian groups say the attacks represent a faith-based campaign of extermination, Nigerian authorities insist the phenomenon is far broader and more complex.
For Canada, the move signals a hardening of posture toward religious-freedom abuses abroad — and a readiness to join allies in warning that such violations may carry consequences. For Nigeria, the question now is whether it will engage in meaningful reform or brace for punitive diplomatic and economic responses.
