U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Nigeria will once again be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing what he described as the ongoing persecution of Christians in the country.
In a social media post on Thursday, October 31, Trump declared, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.’”
Under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), the U.S. president is required to identify countries that engage in or tolerate “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” Such violations include torture, prolonged detention without charges, and forced disappearances, according to the U.S. State Department.
The move marks a reversal of a 2023 decision by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had removed Nigeria from the CPC list. Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 under former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Trump’s announcement follows an October 15 letter sent to him by Christian leaders, who reported that since 2009, more than 52,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches attacked and destroyed in Nigeria. The letter also cited that in 2025 alone, thousands of Christians have been murdered or raped, and over 100 pastors and Catholic priests kidnapped for ransom.
“When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done!” Trump stated in his post.
The president also announced that he has tasked Rep. Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) and House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) to “immediately look into this matter, and report back.”
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries,” Trump added. “We stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
The renewed designation could have diplomatic implications for U.S.–Nigeria relations, potentially affecting aid, defense cooperation, and bilateral engagements depending on the policy actions that follow.
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