On October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump reignited a heated international debate by designating Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) for what he called the government's tolerance of religious freedom violations—particularly against Christians. The move, announced on Trump’s Truth Social account, was swiftly followed by a series of escalating statements: the president threatened to freeze U.S. aid and even take military action unless, in his words, the Nigerian government "moves fast" to halt the killings of Christians by jihadist groups.
Trump’s designation and threats drew immediate attention from a broad range of actors, including U.S. lawmakers, religious liberty advocates, Nigerian officials, and even celebrities. The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), which had advocated for Nigeria’s CPC status since it was dropped by the Biden administration in 2021, was quick to applaud the move. "We are grateful for President Trump’s announcement of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, rightly recognizing the horrors of religious persecution happening to our brothers and sisters overseas," said ERLC Interim President Gary Hollingsworth, as reported by Baptist Press.
The scale of the violence is staggering. According to Open Doors International’s 2025 World Watch List, 3,100 Nigerian Christians were killed in 2024 alone, making up the vast majority of the 4,476 Christians killed worldwide that year. Genocide Watch, another advocacy group, estimated that at least 62,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed since 2000. The violence, once concentrated in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north, has spread to the Middle Belt, a region with a higher Christian population. Militant Fulani herdsmen and various Islamic terrorist groups—including Boko Haram, Islamic State – West African Province (ISWAP), Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa-al-Muslim, and the newly organized Lakurawa—are frequently blamed for the atrocities.
Trump’s rhetoric was unflinching. "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria," he wrote. "Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN.’ But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, (are) slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!" (Truth Social, October 31, 2025).
The president didn’t stop at designations. On November 1, he ordered the Department of War—using a ceremonial title for the Department of Defense—to prepare for possible military action. "If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump declared. He added, "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!" (Truth Social, November 1, 2025).
U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth responded affirmatively on social media: "Yes sir. The killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria – and anywhere – must end immediately. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities." (Baptist Press).
Trump also called on U.S. Representatives Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) and Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate the situation. "The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries," Trump said. "We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!" (Baptist Press).
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), a bipartisan federal entity, had long urged the CPC designation. "We applaud @POTUS for making Nigeria a CPC due to its egregious violations of FoRB (freedom of religion and belief)," USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler tweeted. She emphasized that the Trump administration could now use presidential actions outlined in the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) to pressure Nigeria to protect its citizens and hold perpetrators accountable.
Not everyone welcomed Trump’s actions. Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu swiftly rejected both the CPC designation and Trump’s characterization of the country. "Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty," Tinubu wrote on X. "Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions." He added, "The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians." (Truth Social, X, November 1–2, 2025).
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also pushed back, stating, "Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength. Nigeria is a God-fearing country where we respect faith, tolerance, diversity and inclusion, in concurrence with the rules-based international order." (The Independent).
The country’s population—approximately 230 million according to Open Doors International—is nearly evenly divided between Christians (46.5%) and Muslims (46%). The CIA World Factbook, based on 2018 data, put the figures at 53% Muslim and 45.9% Christian, including Catholics. Analysts and the Associated Press note that, while Christian communities have been targeted, insurgent groups like Boko Haram have also attacked Muslims, and the majority of violent attacks in northern Nigeria—where the population is primarily Muslim—have Muslim victims.
Amidst the political and diplomatic back-and-forth, the story captured the attention of unexpected voices. Rapper Nicki Minaj praised Trump’s designation on X, writing, "Thank you to The President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz responded by inviting Minaj to visit the UN, underscoring the unusual convergence of pop culture and geopolitics.
The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) provides the U.S. government with a framework to impose sanctions and other punitive measures against countries found to be violating religious freedom. Traditionally, the State Department submits an annual report and designates CPCs, with economic measures required if violations persist. Trump’s threats of military action, however, move beyond the targeted responses authorized by IRFA, raising questions about the limits of executive authority under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.
The debate over Christian persecution in Nigeria isn’t new. Allegations of systematic violence against Christians have circulated in conservative U.S. circles for years and were amplified by Trump during his first term. His latest comments, as noted by BBC, mark a significant escalation in rhetoric regarding possible intervention.
While the world watches, the stakes remain high for Nigeria’s diverse population. The violence—whether motivated by religion, politics, or struggles over land and resources—has left tens of thousands dead and communities traumatized. As the U.S. weighs its next steps, voices on all sides urge caution, action, and above all, a commitment to protecting innocent lives, regardless of faith.
For now, the tension between calls for intervention and respect for national sovereignty remains unresolved, with the fate of Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities hanging in the balance.
