Nigeria designated country of particular concern
A major diplomatic shift has emerged as Donald Trump announced that he is redesignating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. This action comes amid allegations that Christians in Nigeria are facing a widespread, systematic threat referred to by some U.S. lawmakers and religious groups as a form of “Christian genocide”.
In a statement, Trump said that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.” He declared: “I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’.”
The designation carries weight under U.S. law because it authorises possible sanctions, including suspension of non‐humanitarian aid, and places pressure on the Nigerian government to act on religious freedom.
However, the narrative behind the move is contested. Analysts and Nigerian officials argue that while violence is widespread, the evidence does not support a targeted campaign aimed solely at Christians, and some data indicates that Muslims are also heavily affected.
The Nigerian presidency accused U.S. lawmakers and certain lobby groups of orchestrating a campaign to press for the designation, calling the “genocide” language misleading and arguing it risks destabilising the country by stoking religious division.
The situation remains fluid. Nigeria’s security challenges involve extremist groups such as Boko Haram, herder-farmer conflicts, and communal violence, especially in the Middle Belt and northern regions. But according to experts these dynamics are not easily categorised as state-sponsored genocide of a religious group.
