On April 15, 2025, we sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to request immediate action to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to its ongoing persecution of Christians and other religious minorities. ERLC President Brent Leatherwood shares in the letter:
The current crisis in Nigeria represents one of the most egregious violations of religious freedom internationally and demands prompt and decisive leadership from the United States. I appreciated your condemnation of the Biden Administration’s failure to take this needed action. Now, under your leadership, the State Department can take corrective measures and redesignate Nigeria as a CPC.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has consistently recommended that Nigeria be designated as a CPC since 2009. In 2020, the State Department rightly recognized Nigeria’s egregious violations of religious freedom by adding it to the CPC list. However, its removal in 2021 was a weighty misstep that failed to acknowledge the brutal realities within the country. We firmly desire to see the reversal of this decision and restore Nigeria’s CPC designation. This course of action empowers President Trump to take measures against the CPC, encouraging it toward reform while demonstrating the United States’ firm commitment to religious liberty and its condemnation of violence.
Why should Nigeria be a Country of Particular Concern?
In recent years, Nigeria has been recognized as one of the nations in which it is most dangerous to practice Christianity.
- Since 2009, over 17,000 churches have been burned or attacked.
- Additionally, in 2022, over 5,000 Nigerian Christians were killed for their faith.
- In 2023, an average of 13 Christians were killed daily.
Believers in the northern states of Nigeria are particularly vulnerable, as Islamic militant groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) frequently operate in these areas. In addition, 12 Nigerian states have adopted Shari’a law into their criminal legislation, which grants to Shari’a courts the legal authority to preside over criminal cases. These states also have laws that criminalize conversion to Christianity and blasphemy laws that severely restrict the rights of Christians to speak freely about their faith without fear of criminal punishment, as well as threatening the freedom of other Muslims.
What can Southern Baptists do about Countries of Particular Concern?
Southern Baptists share the conviction that religious freedom is an essential right and must be maintained uninfringed for people of all religions. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 clearly articulates that all men have the “right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.” Our convictions also lead us to prayer. The persecution of Christians in Nigeria is a grievous evil and a clear example of egregious harm to vulnerable people.
Learn more about the ERLC’s advocacy against the persecution of Christians in Nigeria here.
