WASHINTON: The United States House Subcommittee on Africa on Thursday held a high-profile public hearing to scrutinize President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a classification reserved for nations the U.S. believes permit or tolerate serious violations of religious freedom.
The hearing, which commenced at 5 p.m. in Washington, attracted lawmakers from both parties, foreign-policy analysts, human-rights advocates, and representatives of religious-freedom organizations.
Their objective was to interrogate the basis of the redesignation and assess what the decision could mean for the future of U.S. Nigeria relations.
U.S. officials told the committee that the CPC designation reflects Washington’s deep worry about persistent reports of religious persecution and rising violence across communities in northern, central, and even parts of southern Nigeria.
Several groups testified that attacks on churches and mosques, targeted killings, kidnappings, and destruction of religious sites have remained widespread.
Some advocacy groups went further, describing patterns of violence in certain regions as amounting to genocide an allegation the U.S. government did not fully endorse but said it takes seriously.
Witnesses argued that Nigeria’s security forces have either been ineffective in responding or, in some cases, allegedly complicit through negligence, delayed response, or failure to prosecute offenders.
Members of Congress questioned whether Nigerian authorities have demonstrated the political will to curb religiously or ethnically motivated violence.
Lawmakers cited longstanding concerns about attacks by extremist groups in the North-East, farmer–herder conflicts in the Middle Belt, and communal clashes that repeatedly escalate without significant arrests or convictions.
Analysts noted that despite Nigeria’s strategic importance as Africa’s largest economy and a key security partner, Washington expects “meaningful action” to protect vulnerable communities.
They emphasized that the CPC label is not merely symbolic but signals a serious deterioration in Washington’s assessment of Nigeria’s internal security and governance.
If the U.S. Senate endorses the redesignation, Nigeria may face a range of targeted measures. These include:
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Sanctions on government officials accused of participating in abuses or failing to prevent them.
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Travel bans restricting affected officials from entering the United States.
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Freezing of assets belonging to sanctioned individuals.
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Limitations on military cooperation, including restrictions on equipment sales or security assistance.
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Diplomatic pressure to compel Nigeria to implement reforms, strengthen accountability mechanisms, and improve human-rights protections.
While the hearing did not reach a final conclusion, committee members indicated that a follow-up review will be conducted once additional documentation from the State Department and independent human-rights monitors is received.
The redesignation process now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will debate whether Nigeria has met the threshold for CPC classification or whether the government has taken sufficient steps to address religious-freedom violations.
For Nigeria, the outcome could influence not only bilateral relations but also foreign investment, security partnerships, and its global reputation as it seeks to project stability and democratic credibility.
