U.S. Representative Chris Smith has renewed his call for Nigeria to be designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) by the Trump administration, citing ongoing severe religious persecution and alleged genocide targeting Christians in Nigeria. Smith’s persistent advocacy spotlights a dire humanitarian crisis where over 52,000 Nigerian Christians have reportedly been killed by Islamist extremist groups, and thousands more are subjected to abductions, attacks, and systemic discrimination.
The CPC designation, mandated under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998, requires the U.S. government to identify and impose sanctions on countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom including torture, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. Nigeria was previously labeled a CPC in 2020 under President Trump’s first term but was removed in 2021 by the Biden administration, a move widely criticized by religious leaders and human rights advocates.
Rep. Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, reintroduced legislation seeking to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status, arguing that conditions have significantly worsened rather than improved. His resolution, H.Res. 220, calls for urgent U.S. action including targeted sanctions against Nigerian officials deemed to facilitate or permit jihadist violence against religious minorities, especially Christians. Smith expressed hope that President Trump would again designate Nigeria a CPC and enhance U.S. assistance to persecuted Christian communities while engaging with Nigerian authorities to address the crisis.
Testimonies presented at a recent congressional hearing highlighted brutal attacks by Islamist militant groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani herdsmen jihadists, who have targeted Christians through mass killings, church burnings, kidnappings for ransom, and punitive Sharia law imposition. Witnesses including Nigerian Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and experts from prominent research institutes emphasized that these assaults amount to a religiously motivated genocide.
The violence has predominantly plagued Nigeria’s North-Central and Northern regions but has also spilled into southern states, posing grave threats to religious freedom and social stability. The international Christian watchdog, Open Doors, reported that Nigeria remains among the most dangerous countries worldwide for Christians, with approximately 69 percent of all Christian faith-based killings globally occurring there in recent years.
However, not all observers agree on labeling the violence as genocide. Some analysts argue that Nigeria’s complex security challenges involve multiple factors including ethnic conflicts, resource competition, and governance weaknesses. A minority critique cautions that the genocide designation risks oversimplifying the crisis and fueling polarized narratives.
Within Nigeria, the Senate is also engaging in debates addressing the “Christian genocide” claims, with some lawmakers urging diplomatic approaches and disputing the genocide framing as misleading and detrimental to national cohesion.
Still, international advocacy continues to pressure for stronger responses, with calls for U.S. Congress and the State Department to reinstitute Nigeria’s CPC status, impose sanctions, and support humanitarian aid for affected communities.