Alleged Christian Genocide: Trump Reviews U.S. Designation of Nigeria as ‘Country of Particular Concern’
The United States and Nigeria have held a fresh round of high-level talks in Washington centred on religious freedom, security cooperation and the protection of Christian communities, months after President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, on Wednesday hosted the second Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting with a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. A statement issued Thursday by the U.S. Department of State said the engagement followed the first session of the joint meeting, which held in Abuja on January 22, 2026.
At the earlier January meeting, both countries discussed violence against vulnerable groups in Nigeria, particularly Christians, and explored ways to create an environment where all Nigerians could freely practise their faith without interference from terrorists, separatists, bandits and criminal militias. That discussion also centred on how bilateral cooperation could improve religious freedom and strengthen security nationwide.
Outlining the agenda for this week’s follow-up session, the State Department said discussions focused specifically on protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, an area that has repeatedly recorded violent attacks blamed on herders, bandits and extremist groups. The talks also addressed the need to hold perpetrators of violence accountable by strengthening judicial and security institutions, alongside deepening military-to-military cooperation between both nations.
Hooker and Ribadu reviewed progress made by President Bola Tinubu’s administration on resettling internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes, ongoing counterterrorism prosecutions, and efforts to disrupt the financing of terrorist activities. The Department of State noted that the Joint Working Group identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in transparency around humanitarian expenditure. Further discussions on military-to-military cooperation were scheduled to continue at the Pentagon.
Despite the outstanding concerns, Washington acknowledged Nigeria’s reported efforts to date, including the prosecution of hundreds of suspects linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The U.S. also recognised steps taken by the Tinubu administration to expand judicial capacity and to recruit and train roughly 50,000 additional police officers as part of broader security reforms.
Both delegations agreed that significant work remained, particularly around supporting displaced persons, and committed to deepening cooperation on countering terrorism financing and sharing biometric information to strengthen accountability measures. The statement added that this cooperation would be reinforced through capacity-building support from the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and its Bureau of Counterterrorism.
In a separate meeting, Under Secretary Hooker met privately with NSA Ribadu to further advance bilateral priorities, with both sides reaffirming the United States’ commitment to working with Nigeria to protect Christian communities and deepen joint security cooperation. The Trump administration’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, first applied in October 2025, has remained a contentious issue between both governments, with Nigerian officials previously pushing back against claims of a state-enabled Christian genocide while welcoming continued security collaboration with Washington.
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