The United States House of Representatives Sub-committee on Africa will convene an open hearing on Thursday to deliberate on President Donald Trump’s recent decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
If upheld by the Senate, the designation would authorize Washington to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials implicated in religious persecution and restrict certain forms of bilateral assistance. It also underscores to the international community that religious freedom in Nigeria remains under significant threat.
The hearing, scheduled for 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building and accessible via live webcast, will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ). Two panels of witnesses are expected to testify, including senior U.S. State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.
According to the committee’s invitation, the first panel will feature Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official of the Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The second panel will include Nina Shea, Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese in Nigeria; and Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic & International Studies.
Lawmakers are expected to examine the extent of religious persecution in Nigeria and consider policy responses ranging from targeted sanctions to humanitarian aid and enhanced cooperation with Nigerian authorities to curb violence.
President Trump announced Nigeria’s CPC designation on October 31, citing what he described as grave violations of religious freedom, particularly against Christians. He warned that Christianity faced an existential threat in Nigeria, alleging that thousands of believers had been killed by radical Islamist groups.
The President threatened to suspend all U.S. aid to Nigeria and signaled possible military intervention if the Tinubu administration failed to halt the attacks. In a statement on November 1, Trump directed the Department of War to prepare for potential action, declaring that any U.S. strike would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
President Bola Tinubu rejected the allegations, describing them as a distortion of Nigeria’s religious reality. In a statement on his official X account, Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s constitutional commitment to religious liberty, insisting that the country does not encourage persecution.
Trump’s move comes amid ongoing violence targeting Christian communities in Nigeria, including killings, kidnappings, and the destruction of churches. The redesignation has reignited debate in Washington, where a bill sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz is currently before the Senate.
Nigeria was first designated a CPC by Trump in 2020, but the label was removed by his successor, President Joe Biden, after taking office.
