11
July 2012
Past Event
A Round Table Discussion on Nigeria'’s Boko Haram with Representatives of the Christian Nigerian Association

A Round Table Discussion on Nigeria'’s Boko Haram with Representatives of the Christian Nigerian Association

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
July 11, 2012
Default Event Image
11
July 2012
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Speakers:
Nina Shea,

Hudson Senior Fellow and Director of Center for Religious Freedom

Pastor Ayodele Joseph Oritsejafor,

President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, and National President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

Reverend Oladimeji  P. Thompson,

Special Adviser to the CAN President on Conflict Resolution and Terrorism Matters

Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom hosted an informal briefing by representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria. Speakers focused on the political ascendancy of the violent terrorist group Boko Haram, the impact on Nigeria's religious minorities, and the group within its broader geopolitical and historical context. Last month, the U.S. Department of State named three top Boko Haram commanders as "Specially Designated Global Terrorists."

Jama'__atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad (Association of Sunnis for the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad)__, commonly known as "Boko Haram," has had a long history of carrying out violent terrorist attacks in Nigeria. The State Department reports:

"In the last 18 months, Boko Haram or associated militants have killed more than 1,000 people. Boko Haram is credited with the August 26, 2011 attack on the United Nations building in Abuja, that killed at least 23 people and wounded scores more. Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for the December 25, 2011 attack on the Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria, that killed at least 35 and wounded dozens more. Boko Haram's deadliest violence occurred on January 20, 2012 in Kano, Nigeria, with a series of attacks that killed more than 180 people. Boko Haram's victims have been overwhelmingly civilian."

Since its inception a decade ago, Boko Haram has clearly articulated its goals and ambitions to create an Islamist state in Nigeria. The Christian Association of Nigeria has gained critical insights into the structure, hierarchy, and operations of the group. 

Related Events
24
October 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Prioritizing the Release of Chinese Christian Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri
Featured Speakers:
Grace Jin Drexel
Bill Drexel
Olivia Enos
Getty Images
24
October 2025
Virtual Event | Invite Only
Prioritizing the Release of Chinese Christian Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri

Join Hudson for a conversation with Pastor Jin’s daughter and son-in-law about Pastor Jin, why he and the other detained Zion Church members matter for US foreign policy, and what the US government can do to secure the church members’ release.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Grace Jin Drexel
Bill Drexel
Olivia Enos
28
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Africa’s Role in Addressing America’s Critical Minerals Refining Vulnerability
Featured Speakers:
Dr. J. Peter Pham
Michael Hollomon II
Ben Kincaid
Joshua Meservey
Getty Images
28
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Africa’s Role in Addressing America’s Critical Minerals Refining Vulnerability

This discussion will cover the scale of the challenge, how the US government can better support domestic and allied refining, and how African nations can climb the critical minerals supply chains.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Dr. J. Peter Pham
Michael Hollomon II
Ben Kincaid
Joshua Meservey
28
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Future of US Broadband and Spectrum Strategy
Featured Speakers:
Arielle Roth
Harold Furchtgott-Roth
Getty Images
28
October 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
The Future of US Broadband and Spectrum Strategy

To discuss how the administration is strengthening US leadership in communications and technology, Senior Fellow Harold Furchtgott-Roth will host Arielle Roth, assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and administrator of the NTIA.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Arielle Roth
Harold Furchtgott-Roth
23
October 2025
Past Event
The US in the South Caucasus: Mapping New Strategic Opportunities 
Featured Speakers:
Ilan Berman
Luke Coffey
Steve Daines
Michael Doran
Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim
Efgan Nifti
Joel Scanlon
: President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sign a joint declaration at the White House in Washington DC, on August 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
23
October 2025
Past Event
The US in the South Caucasus: Mapping New Strategic Opportunities 

A keynote address by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), to examine the implications of the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan peace agreement. 

: President Donald Trump, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sign a joint declaration at the White House in Washington DC, on August 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
Featured Speakers:
Ilan Berman
Luke Coffey
Steve Daines
Michael Doran
Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim
Efgan Nifti
Joel Scanlon