𝐔𝐒 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐂𝐏𝐂 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬

The United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa will hold an open hearing on Thursday, November 20, 2025, to examine President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations.

The CPC label, one of the most serious classifications under US law—could lead to targeted sanctions on Nigerian government officials found complicit in religious persecution. It may also limit certain forms of bilateral assistance and signal to the international community that religious freedom in Nigeria is under severe threat.

The hearing will take place at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building and will be streamed live. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, will preside over the session.

According to a congressional invitation obtained by The PUNCH, the hearing will feature two panels of witnesses. The first panel will include Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official at the US Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The second panel will feature Nina Shea, Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, and Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic & International Studies.

Lawmakers are expected to examine not only the extent of religious persecution in Nigeria but also potential US policy responses. These may include sanctions, humanitarian interventions, and deeper collaboration with Nigerian authorities to curb religious violence.

On October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing what he described as severe violations of religious freedom and escalating attacks on Christians. Trump argued that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria, accusing radical Islamist groups of killing thousands of Christians. He warned that the United States could take strong action, including military intervention, if the Nigerian government failed to tackle the crisis. The US President also threatened to halt all American aid to Nigeria unless President Bola Tinubu’s administration addresses the alleged persecution of Christians across the country.

The upcoming congressional hearing is expected to shape Washington’s next steps. If the Senate ratifies the CPC designation, the US may impose punitive measures on Nigerian officials or institutions deemed responsible for religious rights violations. The review underscores growing international concern over Nigeria’s religious tensions and the broader security challenges across the country.