Written by Lisa Murimi
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Christianity faces what he described as an “existential threat” in Nigeria, announcing that the West African nation will be added to the U.S. State Department’s Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list for alleged violations of religious freedom.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social account on Friday, Trump accused “radical Islamists” of being responsible for widespread attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria, which he claimed have resulted in the deaths of thousands.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote.
The Countries of Particular Concern list designates nations the U.S. government deems to have engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations of religious freedom.
Other countries currently on the list include China, North Korea, Myanmar, Russia, and Pakistan, according to the U.S. State Department.
Trump also revealed that he had directed Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, alongside the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the situation further and report their findings.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, has long struggled with religious and ethnic tensions, particularly in the country’s northern and central regions.
Attacks by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have targeted both Christian and Muslim communities for over a decade.
Human rights organizations have frequently called on the Nigerian government to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities, citing weak security responses and limited accountability for perpetrators of religious violence.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected accusations of religious persecution, maintaining that security challenges in the country stem from terrorism, banditry, and local conflicts rather than religion.
Trump’s statement has reignited global debate over how the United States should engage with African nations facing religious and ethnic unrest.
Observers have noted that the inclusion of Nigeria on the CPC list could impact bilateral relations and potentially affect U.S. aid and defense cooperation with Abuja.
As of Saturday, the U.S. State Department had not issued an official confirmation of Trump’s directive, but diplomatic sources indicated that deliberations were ongoing in Washington.
