United States President Donald Trump has designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over what he described as an existential threat facing Christianity in the West African nation.
The American president made the announcement in a statement posted on social media, citing widespread killings of Christians by radical Islamists.
Trump stated that thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria and called on the United States Congress to take immediate action. He directed Congressman Riley Moore, along with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the matter and report back to him.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote in the statement shared by the White House official Instagram account. He emphasized that the designation as a Country of Particular Concern was the least of measures being considered.
The President referenced statistics showing Nigeria recording 3,100 Christian deaths compared to 4,476 worldwide, suggesting a disproportionate concentration of Christian persecution in the country. He argued that something must be done to address the situation urgently.
Trump asserted that the United States cannot stand by while such atrocities occur in Nigeria and numerous other countries. He declared that America stands ready, willing, and able to save what he termed “our Great Christian population around the World.”
The designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act allows the United States to impose sanctions or other diplomatic measures on nations deemed to have engaged in or tolerated systematic violations of religious freedom. The categorization typically applies to countries where governments or non-state actors perpetrate severe religious persecution.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 200 million people, is roughly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south. The country has experienced ongoing security challenges, including attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in the northeast and clashes between herders and farmers in the Middle Belt region.
Religious and community figures in Nigeria have frequently attributed violence in the country to complex factors including competition over resources, ethnic tensions, and criminal banditry, rather than solely religious motivations. The Nigerian government has maintained that security operations are ongoing to address violence affecting communities across different faiths.
The White House statement signals potential United States policy action regarding religious freedom concerns in Nigeria. Trump concluded his message by signing as President of the United States of America.
