- Experts weigh in, fear diplomatic, economic, socio-political fall-out
By Nkiruka Nnorom
Nigeria’s international image may have taken a hit after the US President, Donald Trump, redesignated the country as a Country of Particular Concern(CPC) following alleged severe violations of religious freedom, particularly against Christians.
The redesignation, Friday, followed mounting pressure from some US senators and other interest groups over an accusation that Nigeria authorities were either ignoring or facilitating mass murder of Christians by Islamist Jihadists.
Rooted in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the designation is a US government’s label of nations whose “government has engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom”.
We’ll not remain silent while Christians are killed – Trump
Making the announcement, Friday, Trump said that his country would not remain silent while Christians were being killed, noting that his administration was ready to respond to the growing religious violence in Nigeria.
Trump said: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. 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, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done!.
“The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!”
He instructed two congressmen- Riley Moore and Tom Cole-to immediately look into this matter, and report back to him.
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has followed up on Trump’s directive, saying that America was ready to,With the announcement, Nigeria has joined Eritrea, which is the only African country with such designation.
We’re committed to tackling violent extremism – FG
However, in its response to the tag, the Federal Government maintained its already known stance that there were no mass killing of Christians in Nigeria, but said it remained committed to tackling violent extremism in the country.
“The United States of America has made its statement on religious freedom. Nigeria has noted. Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens irrespective of race, creed or religion,” a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The FG assured that it would continue to engage with the US government to deepen mutual understanding on security issues.
Diplomats, experts react
Meanwhile, the redesignation has sparked intense debate with international policy experts and diplomats weighing in, saying that the announcement would have serious economic, diplomatic and political fallout for the country.
They observed that Nigerians travelling abroad would come under increased scrutiny, especially from the US and its allies.
For some, the redesignation raised questions about Nigeria’s human rights record and exposed the underlying complex security challenges in Nigeria.
Though they argued that the genocidal action was not selective and targeted at any particular religious group, they nonetheless called for measured diplomatic engagement to address the concerns and mitigate potential implications from the labelling.
FG requires measured, conciliatory, structured engagement to counter the claim, redeem int’l image – Amb. Usman Sarki
Reacting to the development, Ambassador Usman Sarki, Former Deputy Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, noted that the redesignation is a serious diplomatic signal from the US, indicating frustration with Nigeria’s handling of religious freedom.
He stated that the CPC designation might affect Nigeria’s relations with the US, potentially leading to sanctions, damaged international image, and complicated cooperation in counter-terrorism and trade.
Citing his personal experience when similar allegations were made while he was in office, Sarki called on the government to engage in measured, conciliatory, and structured engagement to counter the claim and redeem its international image.
He stressed that a knee-jerk or combative reaction would be counterproductive and could deepen the rift.
He said: “The declaration by President Trump is a serious diplomatic signal that America may use its leverage under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) to act if Nigeria does not take appreciable steps to counter what is perceived—rightly or wrongly—as a trend of persecution of Christians.
”This step reflects Washington’s frustration and its belief that Nigeria is failing to protect religious freedom, with such violations being perceived as systematic, ongoing, and egregious,” he said.
He stated that allegations of “genocide” might have been preconceived in order to place Nigeria under sustained international pressure.
“The ultimate aim could be the alignment of policies and objectives among powerful Western countries to bring Nigeria under some form of sanctions regime,” he added.
Continuing, he said: “ýFor Nigeria, this development strains relations with the United States and places human rights—particularly freedom of religion—at the centre of bilateral engagement. While the designation does not automatically trigger sanctions, it authorises them and may potentially affect U.S. security assistance, development aid, trade, and visa privileges for Nigerian officials.
“The move also damages Nigeria’s international image, raising doubts about its commitment to pluralism and tolerance, even if such doubts are not entirely justified.
“It may complicate cooperation in counter-terrorism, trade, and other strategic sectors.
“ The U.S. is currently pursuing a muscular policy towards Venezuela on account of its oil wealth; it would not be far-fetched to suggest that similar strategic interests may underlie Washington’s approach to Nigeria, particularly regarding access to its minerals and natural resources.”
For Nigerians, he said that the implications are both symbolic and practical, saying that the designation might likely attract international attention to religious violence and broader human-rights concerns, thereby encouraging reform and advocacy. “However, it could also make visa acquisition more difficult for Nigerian citizens seeking to travel to the United States, potentially curbing freedom of movement.
“For the Nigerian authorities, the redesignation is a clear call to action. It should galvanise credible and transparent steps to address the persistent insurgency and endemic violence across the country. It should also serve as a reminder that the world is watching and is no longtired of the usual excuses which are no longer tenable.”
Redesignation further creates gap between US, Nigeria – Dr. Abdul-Gafar Oshodi
Dr. Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi, of the Department of Political Science, Lagos State University, said: “The implication of this is clear and twofold: Nigeria and America.
“On the Nigerian part, it simply means that Nigeria-US relations is not improving. Recall that the visa issue still persists, but what the recent categorization does is that it further creates a gap between the US and Nigeria. From a geopolitical perspective, it simply means that Nigeria, giving the limitation of the US’ designation, would tend to deepen its relation with other actors like China and Europe, at least until the end of Trump’s tenure in less than four years. This outcome surely benefits and strengthens China’s softpower in the most popular African country.
“On the American side, it remains to be seen if this designation will have implications for visa applications. Indeed, the US is confronted with the South African syndrome. If the Trump administration believes that Christians in Nigeria are being attacked, will this translate into offering asylum to the affected Nigerians as was the case with the White South Africans? Time will tell.
“But in both cases, foreign policy can be quite dynamic. This means that the current designation could offer opportunities for diplomatic engagement. By this, it could be the case that a transactional Trump administration could increase America’s support for the Nigerian government to fight the terrorists and bandits that are causing the violence on both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.”
The post Nigeria’s int’l image takes hit as Trump redesignates it as Country of Particular Concern appeared first on Vanguard News.
