The narrative of Christian persecution in Nigeria continues to dominate international conversations, but Oge Onubogu, Africa director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), warns that this approach oversimplifies a far more complex crisis. She urged Nigeria to look beyond religion if the country hopes to understand and resolve its deep-rooted security problems.
Onubogu explained that while some attacks have religious elements, widespread insecurity stems from years of governance failures, institutional weakness, economic inequality, territorial disputes, and ethnic tensions. She noted that attributing everything to the persecution of Christians ignores other victims, including Muslim communities, farmers, herders, and ethnic minorities caught in overlapping conflicts.
She stressed that reducing the crisis to religion can increase division and create a misleading global narrative. According to her, international partners must understand Nigeria’s insecurity as a multifaceted problem that requires targeted reforms, accountability, and community-level engagement.
Onubogu urged international actors to support Nigeria by strengthening governance, promoting peacebuilding, and addressing historical grievances, rather than resorting to simplistic explanations. He warned that foreign intervention based solely on protecting Christians could exacerbate tensions and unintentionally harm the very groups it purports to defend.
He also cautioned against treating insecurity as a temporary problem or one with a single cause. Instead, he advocated for long-term strategies focused on improving state capacity, rebuilding trust in institutions, and ensuring that all communities feel safe.
His message is clear: real solutions will only come when Nigeria acknowledges the complexity of its security challenges and avoids rhetoric that divides rather than unites.
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