Overview
- President Donald Trump announced the Country of Particular Concern designation for Nigeria, citing what he called a mass slaughter of Christians by radical Islamist groups.
- He directed Rep. Riley Moore, Rep. Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee to investigate the situation and report back to him.
- The CPC label can precede penalties such as restrictions on non‑humanitarian aid, but no punitive measures have been imposed to date.
- Nigerian officials dispute claims of a targeted Christian genocide, and experts note the violence also stems from insurgency, farmer–herder conflict, resource disputes and other local drivers.
- Advocacy groups including Open Doors report Nigeria accounts for a large share of Christian killings globally, while reporting notes Trump’s public move comes outside the usual State Department and commission-led process and follows a prior CPC listing in 2020 that was lifted in 2023.