U.S. President Donald Trump has placed Nigeria on the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), alleging that Christians in the country are facing widespread persecution and what he describes as genocide.
Posting on his Truth Social page on Friday, Trump said Christianity in Nigeria is under an “existential threat” and urged the international community to pay urgent attention to the situation.
He claimed “thousands of Christians are being killed,” blaming radical Islamist groups for what he called “mass slaughter.”
With this designation, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and its biggest oil producer, joins a list of nations the U.S. government accuses of violating religious freedom. Other countries on the CPC list include China, Myanmar, Russia, North Korea, and Pakistan.
Trump said he has instructed U.S. Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, along with the House Appropriations Committee, to launch an investigation and report their findings to him.
For years, Christian advocacy organizations have accused Nigerian authorities of not doing enough to protect Christian communities in areas frequently hit by extremist attacks, especially in the North and Middle Belt regions.
Human rights and religious freedom groups in Washington say Nigeria’s reappearance on the CPC list signals increased global pressure and renewed scrutiny on its handling of religious freedom.
