Former US President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing large-scale violence against Christians in the country.
The announcement came via a post on Truth Social, in which Trump said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.’”
A Country of Particular Concern is a label under the United States International Religious Freedom Act that applies to states deemed to be engaging in “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
While the designation does not automatically trigger sanctions, it opens the way for diplomatic pressure and other actions.
Nigeria was previously designated a CPC in 2020, but that label was removed under the Biden administration in 2023.
Representative Riley Moore (R-West Virginia) had urged the Secretary of State to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC earlier this month, describing Nigeria as “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.”
Trump also stated he has asked Rep. Moore and Rep. Tom Cole (R–Oklahoma), the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, to “immediately look into” the ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria.
International Christian Concern President Shawn Wright welcomed the designation, saying: “We are deeply grateful for this important recognition. It represents a significant step toward mobilizing the global community to confront the atrocities that have devastated so many families and communities in Nigeria. Our prayer is that this designation will encourage other world leaders to follow suit and that it will lead to tangible actions that bring relief and lasting change for those suffering at the hands of violent extremists.”
Trump’s designation comes amid worsening reports of violence in parts of Nigeria, especially the Northcentral region.
Armed extremist groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), and militant Fulani herders have repeatedly attacked Christian communities, killing dozens.
Data cited by Trump states that more than 3,100 Nigerian Christians have been killed, compared with 4,476 Christians killed worldwide, a statistic he used to imply that Nigeria is the global epicentre of faith-based killings.
At least one U.S. congressional resolution (H.Res. 220) has affirmed the view that Nigeria is tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
However, the Nigerian government and some analysts argue that the violence in Nigeria is complex, with both religiously-motivated and non-religiously-motivated causes, including communal, ethnic, and security-related conflicts.
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