US President Donald Trump has once again designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” following allegations of an ongoing Christian genocide in the country.
Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post on Friday, stating that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed.”
He blamed radical Islamists for the “mass slaughter,” adding, “I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’.”
According to Trump, when Christians are being killed “like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done.” However, he did not specify the source of the figures.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries,” he added.
Trump said he would ask Congressmen Riley Moore and Tom Cole, along with the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately investigate the situation.
Moore, alongside Senator Ted Cruz, has been a leading voice in pressing for the designation, with Cruz previously urging US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take action.
A “country of particular concern” (CPC) designation is made by the US secretary of state under authority delegated by the president.
In September, Cruz introduced a bill calling for “targeted sanctions against Nigerian officials who enforce Sharia and blasphemy laws” and for Nigeria to be declared a CPC.
The bill came weeks before Trump signed a memorandum labelling ideologies perceived as anti-American, anti-capitalist, or anti-Christian as forms of domestic terrorism.
Nigeria was first listed as a CPC in 2020 during the final year of Trump’s first term, but the Joe Biden administration later removed it from the list.
Calls for Nigeria’s redesignation resurfaced in March, when US lawmakers pushed for sanctions and other measures over alleged violations of religious freedom.
Trump’s latest action comes despite Nigeria’s dismissal of the genocide claims.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu described the allegations as unfounded, saying Nigeria is “built on the faith and resilience of its people” and that “no religion is under threat.”
Members of Trump’s own administration have also rejected the claims. Earlier this month, Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, said people from all religions and ethnic groups have been victims of terrorism in Nigeria.
Similarly, Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, stated that the violence in Nigeria stems from social causes rather than a religious war.
When the US designates a country as a CPC, Congress is notified to impose non-economic policy measures aimed at ending severe violations of religious freedom. If those efforts fail, economic sanctions may follow.
As of now, Nigeria has not officially responded to Trump’s announcement.