Nigeria Decries US ‘Country of Particular Concern’ Listing on Religious Freedom

By Segun Ojumu, Abuja

Nigeria has strongly rejected the decision by the United States government, under President Donald Trump, to re-designate the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, urged Nigerians both at home and abroad to unite in challenging the US classification. In a statement issued from Abuja on Monday, Ms. Dabiri-Erewa appealed for calm among the Nigerian diaspora and called on them to “defend and project the true image of the country.”

A “Conspiracy Theory”

The NIDCOM head referenced earlier statements from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and President Bola Tinubu, who she said remains firmly committed to religious freedom and the protection of all citizens. Ms. Dabiri-Erewa firmly pushed back against what she termed a “conspiracy theory depicting Nigeria as a country killing Christians in particular.””The perception is definitely not true. There are issues with evil terrorists in some parts of the country, no doubt. What President Trump needs to do is to support the efforts of our government in quashing them not to falsely denigrate our country.”

She insisted that Nigeria is a nation built on tolerance, diversity, and democratic values, and that the US classification does not reflect the reality on the ground. The move by the US State Department to place Nigeria on the CPC list for the first time since 2020 carries diplomatic significance, often leading to potential sanctions, although these can be waived by the US President. The Nigerian government has consistently argued that the violence often labelled as religious persecution is instead part of broader security challenges, including clashes between farmers and herders, and ongoing attacks by Islamist insurgent groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) . The NIDCOM chief stressed that President Tinubu has reaffirmed the nation’s “unwavering commitment to religious liberty and mutual respect,” and urged the diaspora to actively speak out against what she called an “untrue perception.”