The U.S. Africa Leaders Summit stated priorities include fostering economic opportunity, promoting security, democracy, and education, and responding to the climate crisis.

“Human rights concerns should not be ignored or sidelined during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit,” Nelson told CNA, adding: “The Nigerian government has ignored these concerns, and the Biden administration has turned a blind eye as well. If the U.S. won’t stand up to protect religious freedom in the face of undeniable persecution, who will?”

“The International Religious Freedom Act is very clear that Country of Particular Concern designations should solely be based on the religious freedom conditions in a country … The State Department has not provided any real explanation of its decision to leave Nigeria off the Country of Particular Concern list for the past two years to Congress or others,” Nelson said to CNA, adding: “Whenever such egregious, systematic, and ongoing violations of religious freedom are occurring in a country — and Nigeria undeniably meets those requirements — the U.S. should speak out by placing them on the Country of Particular Concern list.”