News, Politics

US Commission Recommends Nigeria’s Return to CPC List Over Religious Freedom Violations

Published by Samuel Ayomide on March 15th, 2026.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called on the US Department of State to redesignate Nigeria alongside 12 other countries as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) due to persistent and serious violations of religious freedom. The recommendation, detailed in USCIRF’s 2026 report, is based on assessments of global religious freedom conditions in 2025.

According to the commission, the CPC designation should apply to nations where governments “either participate in or tolerate severe and systematic violations of religious freedom.” In its report obtained by Nigerian media on Saturday, USCIRF recommended that Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan be placed on the CPC list.

A CPC designation is the US government’s most serious classification for countries accused of enabling or condoning grave religious violations, which may include violence, persecution, imprisonment, or legal restrictions targeting individuals or groups based on belief systems.

The commission also recommended six non-state actors be redesignated as Entities of Particular Concern, including al-Shabaab, Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (formerly Boko Haram), the Houthis, Islamic State – Sahel Province, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISIS-West Africa), and Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin.

While USCIRF can only make recommendations, the final decision rests with the US State Department, which has the authority to implement sanctions, limit foreign assistance, or take diplomatic measures against designated nations.

Nigeria’s CPC status has been a subject of contention in recent years. In December 2020, former US President Donald Trump initially designated Nigeria a CPC over “systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom.” However, the Joe Biden administration removed the designation in November 2021.

The matter resurfaced last October when Trump criticised the Nigerian government on his Truth Social platform, citing attacks on Christian communities. “Thousands of Christians are being killed. When Christians, or any group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria, something must be done,” he wrote, attributing the violence to “radical Islamists.” His statements drew support from some US lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Riley Moore, who described the situation as “systematic persecution” and accused Nigerian officials of failing to curb violence against Christians.

Under the International Religious Freedom Act, a CPC designation allows the US government to consider sanctions, restrictions on foreign aid, and other measures to pressure countries to improve religious freedom protections.

Nigerian media, including The Guardian Nigeria and PUNCH Online, have reported the development, highlighting ongoing concerns over the safety of religious communities in the country. USCIRF’s 2026 report reflects the growing international attention on Nigeria’s efforts to address religious violence amid attacks linked to extremist groups.

Both US and Nigerian stakeholders are now awaiting the State Department’s decision on whether to act on USCIRF’s recommendation and potentially reimpose the CPC designation on Nigeria.