Criticism of U.S. Designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern
The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI) has raised concerns about the United States’ decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), calling it a result of “jaundiced and obtrusive data” provided by organizations with hidden agendas. In a statement signed by IMPI’s Chairman, Omoniyi Akinsiju, the group accused certain local and international organizations of fabricating or exaggerating data on terrorism-related fatalities in Nigeria to misrepresent the security situation as a case of religious genocide.
IMPI specifically highlighted a Christian charity organization, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, and Open Doors as entities allegedly responsible for generating false data that inflates the scale of attacks on Christians in Nigeria. These groups have been cited for reporting figures that suggest a large number of Christians are being killed due to their faith, which, according to IMPI, does not align with verified global data.
President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a CPC last Friday over the alleged Christian genocide and later threatened to deploy military forces if the Nigerian government failed to address the killings. However, IMPI argued that the figures used to support this designation were deliberately inflated to influence international perception and pressure foreign governments to label Nigeria as a CPC.
The statement from IMPI said, “We are concerned about the inauspicious propagation of terrorism-related deaths in a singular religious conflict situation. However, we must acknowledge the sensitivity of this subject as it affects lives. No single life deserves to be extinguished for any reason, but it is immoral to concoct death-related data to justify a point of view.”
IMPI pointed out that advocacy groups like Intersociety and Open Doors reported figures such as 5,068 Christians massacred in Nigeria in 2022 and 5,014 Christians killed for their faith in the same year—claims that far exceed global totals. According to IMPI, these numbers do not reflect the reality on the ground.
Citing data from the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), IMPI emphasized that total terrorism-related fatalities in Nigeria were significantly lower than those reported by the advocacy groups. The GTI for 2022 recorded 392 deaths in Nigeria, the lowest since 2011, while 2024 saw a slight increase to 565. These figures, according to IMPI, fall far short of the exaggerated claims made by groups like Intersociety, which alleged over 8,000 Christian deaths in a single year.
The think tank also noted that Intersociety’s reports attributed virtually all fatalities to Christian deaths, which contradicts recognized indices. For example, the GTI reported a 39.1% drop in terrorism deaths in Nigeria in 2019—from 2,043 in 2018 to 1,245—contrasting with Intersociety’s claim of over 1,000 Christian deaths in the same year.
IMPI urged the U.S. government to engage directly with Nigerian authorities for a clearer understanding of the country’s security landscape. It suggested that better communication between governments could help remove Nigeria from the CPC list.
In addition, an Islamic cleric and founder of the Caring and Sharing Sufi Centre, Rasheed Akinbile, warned against attempts to incite religious division in Nigeria. He urged the U.S. government to focus on supporting Nigeria in addressing insecurity rather than promoting narratives of religious persecution.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 36th anniversary of the Caring and Sharing Sufi Centre in Ibadan, Akinbile emphasized that Nigeria’s security challenges were not religious in nature but required collective solutions. He stated, “In Nigeria, there is no governmental religious discrimination. We are at peace. Christians love Muslims, Muslims love Christians, and we are together. There are some elements, but they are not religious elements; they are those trying to destroy peace.”
He also described the event’s theme, “The Perfect Being (Sayyidina),” as a call for Nigerians to awaken their God-given potential for national transformation. “Inside every one of us, there is the light of Allah. This light must be awakened to build a new economy for Nigeria. Nothing stops this country from leading Africa and the world,” he added.