Dr Dennis Petri has just been as the new head of the International Institute for Religious Freedom (IIRF), a global network of academics dedicated to providing quality data and evidence on the subject at a time when millions of Christians continue to live under oppression and persecution because of their faith. 

He speaks to Christian Today about some of the areas of concern and what impact the pandemic has had on religious liberty. 

CT: Is there a region or country in the world that is of special concern to you?

Dennis: One country we’re working on a lot right now is Nigeria. It’s an extremely complex country and the religious freedom situation is also very difficult to interpret because there are so many factors and actors involved. I think the contribution we can make is to try and bring some clarity into what is a very complex situation.