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Nigeria Freedom of Religion or Belief 2026-01-13
13 January 2026
Lead MP
David Smith
Debate Type
Adjournment Debate
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 9
At a Glance
David Smith raised concerns about nigeria freedom of religion or belief 2026-01-13 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
It is a great pleasure to lead this debate on Government support for freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria; I hope that we have some good debate. Recent events have thrown a spotlight on Nigeria in general, and on freedom of religion or belief in particular... One fact should make the scale of the challenge clear: more Christians are killed each year in Nigeria for being Christians than in all other countries combined... Meanwhile, some federal state legal systems have been manipulated by some politicians and other public officials in order to impose so-called blasphemy and apostasy offences, despite section 38 of the Nigerian federal constitution guaranteeing freedom of religion and of conscience... Moderate Muslims, atheists, humanists and practitioners of traditional religions are all suffering in Nigeria for what they believe. The FORB crisis is partly about violence, but it is also about legal suppression of freedoms at the state level.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
The Government must use their diplomatic engagement, development assistance and security co-operation to press for improved civilian protection, accountability for perpetrators and the defence of freedom of religion or belief for all Nigerians.
Danny Kruger
Reform
East Wiltshire
There is a global pattern of Islamist persecution of Christians that we must acknowledge.
Jeremy Hunt
Con
Godalming and Ash
British foreign policy should make space for those without a voice, such as Christians in Nigeria.
Alex Easton
Ind
North Down
Every diplomatic and political lever available to His Majesty’s Government must be used to help end this violence and secure freedom of religion or belief for all.
Lizzi Collinge
Lab
Morecambe and Lunesdale
No country should have blasphemy laws, whether directly or by the back door.
Al Pinkerton
LD
Surrey Heath
Asks about intersections between other sources of conflict such as terrorism, resource competition, and climate change.
Raises a point but is interrupted by the speaker.
Carla Lockhart
DUP
Upper Bann
Cites Matthew 5:10 and asks for concrete action from UK aid conditional on demonstrable religious freedom protections.
Mike Wood
Con
Dudley South
The tragic case of Deborah Samuel Yakubu is a reminder of the culture of impunity that has been allowed to develop in too many parts of Nigeria. Can the Minister assure the House that the UK Government do everything and take every opportunity to stress the need for improved security in particularly vulnerable parts of Nigeria to ensure that people are safe to exercise their religious beliefs?
Government Response
Government Response
The minister's response is not provided in the given transcript. The debate ends with lead MP David Smith discussing interventions and legal suppression of freedoms without a concluded ministerial reply. Acknowledges the issue's importance, declares interest as a Christian activist, and notes Nigeria’s constitutional promise of religious freedom. Reports shocking statistics on Christian persecution in Nigeria from Open Doors World Watch List. Emphasises the Government’s targeted action strategy for Nigeria, welcoming President Buhari’s commitment to religious freedoms. Engages closely with Nigerian authorities, communities, and faith leaders through Baroness Chapman. Raises issues at high levels, including discussions with Foreign Minister Tuggar and engagement in international bodies like UN, G7, and Human Rights Council. I absolutely can. I mentioned a range of different levels at which we do that—indeed, the Minister for Africa has raised a number of these issues at the highest level—and we continue to engage. The high commissioner and the team do an excellent job of engaging at all levels to raise these cases. That is why we have this dialogue, the SPRiNG programme and the investment that we are making across a range of areas with the Nigerian authorities, who are close partners in many respects and on many issues not just in Nigeria, but more broadly. We agreed to strengthen our co-operation and provide practical support to defend against these threats. That includes very practical steps such as sharing operational lessons to counter new tactics being used by terrorists, including the use of drones and improvised explosive devices, which have tragically been used against civilians in too many locations. The UK is trying to address the wider issues of poverty and humanitarian concerns. We support hundreds of thousands of people through our humanitarian assistance and resilience programme. I assure you, Madam Deputy Speaker, as well as the special envoy that we will keep working with the Nigerian authorities and faith leaders to address the shocking violence against people who are simply trying to follow their faith or belief. I particularly welcome the concerns raised about Christian communities, but this issue affects many. We will work at every level to ensure that this violence is brought to an end, and we will also work globally on these issues. I really praise the special envoy for the work that he does on these important issues.
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