Recognize and aid Nigerian Christians
Petitioners ask Canada to recognize targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, demand accountability, coordinate protection with partners, fund humanitarian aid, support safe return of internally displaced persons, and offer asylum to persecuted people. The government responds that it condemns violations, urges prosecutions, supports humanitarian aid and upholds refugee protections.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would formally acknowledge and publicize attacks on Christian communities, increasing diplomatic pressure for investigations and prosecutions.
- It would mobilize and direct humanitarian aid and resettlement efforts to displaced and persecuted civilians in need.
- Coordinating protection with international partners could improve security and address drivers of violence through combined programs.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- A formal designation could strain diplomatic relations with Nigeria and complicate security cooperation needed to address violence.
- Implementing expanded asylum, resettlement and aid commitments would require funding and administrative capacity that may compete with other priorities.
- Focusing on one religious group risks overlooking other victims and may politicize Canada’s human-rights diplomacy compared with broader multilateral responses.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS • Since 2009, Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and armed Fulani militias have carried out sustained attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria, causing mass killings and widespread destruction of churches and villages. • Despite the scale and duration of this violence, there have been no meaningful prosecutions, and international human rights organizations report persistent failures by Nigerian authorities to prevent attacks or hold perpetrators accountable. • Christians are disproportionately targeted, contributing to a humanitarian crisis that includes mass displacement and approximately five million internally displaced persons unable to safely return to their ancestral lands. • These abuses have drawn international concern, and Canada has a long-standing commitment to the protection of human rights, religious freedom, and vulnerable populations. THEREFORE Therefore, we, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to recognize the targeted killing of Christians in Nigeria, hold those responsible accountable, work with international partners to protect Christian communities, and support humanitarian aid, safe return of displaced persons, and asylum for those fleeing persecution.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant The Government of Canada recognizes that violence and insecurity remain a significant challenge in Nigeria and impact all segments of its population. The situation in Nigeria is complex, with violence rooted in a range of factors, including religious and ethnic tensions, conflicts over land and resources, socio-economic factors, and governance issues. The Government of Canada condemns human rights violations and opposes all religious hatred, discrimination, and xenophobia wherever it occurs. On November 27, 2025, at the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned violence affecting faith and belief communities worldwide, including Christians in Nigeria. The Government of Canada continues to call on the Nigerian authorities to bring those responsible for human rights violations to justice and ensure transparency. During Nigeria’s 2024 Universal Periodic Review before the United Nations Human Rights Council, Canada notably recommended that Nigeria investigate allegations of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military, Boko Haram, and other armed groups, and bring the perpetrators to justice. Canada also recommended that Nigeria assign human and financial resources to the institutions responsible for implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015 and take steps to ensure the operational and financial independence of the National Human Rights Commission. The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria also engages regularly with the National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria to discuss human rights and support the Commission’s efforts to advocate for human rights and investigate complaints of human rights abuses submitted by citizens. The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting human rights, including freedom of religion or belief. The Government of Canada conducts human rights advocacy on a regular basis through private, public, and multilateral channels. This includes policy dialogue with the Nigerian government, coordination with likeminded partners, support to civil society organizations, strengthening of international norms and standards around freedom of religion or belief, as well as the issuance of public statements, conducted through an approach that is both strategic and constructive. Senior Canadian officials and the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed with their counterparts how to address urgent security issues in 2025. Canada continues to support the Government of Nigeria in its efforts to combat terrorism and violence against civilian populations, including Christians. Through its peace and security, development and humanitarian programming, the Government of Canada is collaborating with Nigeria and with other partners to address the root causes of violence, its impacts, and its broader underlying drivers, as well as to mitigate threats, such as terrorism and its repercussions on the civilian population. Since 2020-2021, Canada has invested over $24.2 million in West and Central Africa through its Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program to address the root causes of violent extremism, strengthen resilience against radicalization, and support judicial capacity to prosecute terrorism, including in Nigeria. These projects are delivered through partnerships with international organizations such as the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Global Counterterrorism Forum and the International Criminal Police Organization, close allies, and non-governmental organizations with security expertise. Canada, though its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program is supporting projects in Nigeria (approximately $2 million) to reduce the flow of small arms and light weapons in the northwest region, to conduct research on reintegration of those formerly associated with armed groups, and to support the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the country. These efforts are implemented in collaboration with international partners, including multilateral organizations, to ensure complementarity, local effectiveness, and sustainability of results. Since 2014, Canada has allocated $9.5 million under its Weapons Threat Reduction Program to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear proliferation and terrorism threats in Nigeria. This support is delivered in close collaboration with trusted international partners, as well as multilateral and regional institutions, to strengthen national and regional capacities and enhance civilian safety and institutional resilience against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear proliferation-related risks. The Government of Canada recognizes that certain conditions negatively exacerbate the security context in the country. To address some of the root causes of insecurity and alleviate poverty in Nigeria, Canada’s bilateral development programming is creating employment opportunities for youth and women, building governance capacity and supporting community resilience, while addressing urgent needs related to climate adaptation and livelihoods through strengthened sustainable food systems and training in shock-responsive agriculture. In 2023-2024, working through Canadian, multilateral and local partners, Canada invested $16.5 million in bilateral development programming to reduce extreme poverty, build community resilience and create employment opportunities, thus addressing some of the main drivers of insecurity. The Government of Canada is committed to meeting the needs of the most vulnerable, including internally displaced people. The Government continues to support a coordinated multi-stakeholder approach to internally displaced people protection and assistance. This includes working with other donors and humanitarian actors to protect and provide for the basic needs of internally displaced people. Canada’s humanitarian assistance programming is context-specific and needs-based. As such, humanitarian assistance is provided to people affected by conflict and natural disasters through experienced humanitarian partners that can identify and reach the most vulnerable. Canada’s humanitarian assistance in Nigeria includes the provision of emergency food and nutrition assistance, essential health and protection services, and water, sanitation and hygiene support. In 2023-2024, Canada provided over $10 million in humanitarian aid to provide urgent life-saving assistance to crisis-affected populations in the country. Canada continues to monitor the situation closely. Canada is party to both the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, which establish international protection for refugees grounded in the fundamental principle of non-refoulement. Consistent with our international obligations, Canada is committed to strengthening and protecting the integrity of its asylum and refugee protection system to ensure a fast, fair, and final process for the growing number of individuals seeking asylum in Canada. All individuals who request refugee protection in Canada are subject to a due process and are afforded the opportunity to make their case for needing Canada’s protection. The Government of Canada remains strongly committed to its humanitarian objectives by resettling refugees and its international obligations by granting asylum to persons in need of protection, including individuals persecuted based on their race, religion, nationality, affiliation to a social group or political beliefs, and individuals facing risk to their life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment/punishment. Canada remains committed to upholding a fair, compassionate and sustainable refugee protection system and to aiding those in need of protection. Moreover, the Government of Canada recognizes family reunification as an important pillar of its immigration policy. The Government of Canada also maintains its humanitarian tradition through the development and implementation of policies, programs and services that facilitate the arrival and integration of resettled refugees into Canada.