The United States Department of State has announced a $3.5m (approximately N5bn) funding opportunity aimed at improving the documentation and reporting of religious freedom abuses in Nigeria.

The initiative, unveiled by the Office of International Religious Freedom under the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, seeks applications from organisations capable of strengthening reporting efforts on attacks linked to religion and belief across the country. According to the notice of funding opportunity released on May 22, the programme will run for between 24 and 48 months, with one award anticipated under either a grant or cooperative agreement.

The State Department stated that the project aimed to enhance efforts to monitor and document abuses committed by both state and non-state actors in Nigeria. “The Office of International Religious Freedom announces an open competition for organisations interested in submitting applications for projects that improve documentation and reporting efforts on religious freedom abuses in Nigeria, for accountability, advocacy, and memorialisation,” the notice stated.

The document referenced violence linked to Boko Haram, Fulani ethnic militias and other armed groups, saying attacks have affected both Christians and Muslims.

“Documenters, human rights and religious freedom advocates, religious leaders and community members, academics, journalists, and survivors have contributed to an evidence base that illustrates the extreme levels of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, Fulani ethnic militias, and other armed actors against Christians and Muslims,” the notice said.

The US government also criticised what it described as inadequate responses by Nigerian authorities to attacks on faith communities. The document said: “Civil society reports indicate that authorities regularly fail to respond in a timely or effective manner to violent attacks against civilians and faith communities, and particularly attacks against Christians.”

It added: “This leads to widespread impunity for violence, which encourages more violence, leading to further abuses and displacements.” The notice further alleged that some security personnel had raided places of worship while searching for suspected criminals.

“There are also credible reports of Nigerian security personnel raiding places of worship and injuring clergy and congregants in search of alleged criminals,” it said. The State Department said the funding initiative followed President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom issues.

“President Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern placed a spotlight on the severity of these longstanding and worsening problems,” the document said. The IRF said proposals submitted under the programme should aim to improve accountability for violations through “monitoring, documenting, and reporting of such abuses committed by either state or non-state actors in Nigeria.”