The United States government is weighing a range of measures, including targeted sanctions and potential Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism, as part of a new strategy to pressure the Nigerian government to improve the protection of Christian communities and strengthen religious freedom, a senior U.S. official said on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Nigeria has drawn sharp attention from President Donald Trump, who earlier in November threatened possible military action over alleged persecution of Christians.
The Nigerian government, however, maintains that such claims misrepresent the country’s complex security challenges, insisting it remains committed to safeguarding religious liberty for all citizens.
“The Trump administration is developing a plan to incentivize and compel the Nigerian government to better protect Christian communities and improve religious freedom,”
said Jonathan Pratt, the senior official overseeing the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, while testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.
“This plan will consider U.S. State and Treasury engagement on sanctions, as well as possible Department of War engagement on counterterrorism, and other efforts to protect religious communities,”
Pratt added.
He explained that Washington was primarily examining how Nigeria deploys U.S.-backed security assistance, including asset allocation, information sharing, and intelligence coordination.
In October, Trump reinstated Nigeria on the U.S. “Countries of Particular Concern” list, a designation reserved for nations accused of serious violations of religious freedom. He further claimed to have instructed the Defense Department to prepare for “fast” military action if Nigeria fails to address what he called widespread killings of Christians. Trump also announced the immediate suspension of U.S. aid and assistance to Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer.
Nigeria, home to over 200 ethnic groups practicing Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions, has long balanced a history of coexistence with recurring sectarian and communal violence.
Conflicts between farmers and herders, as well as terror attacks by Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have killed tens of thousands over the past 15 years.
Human rights observers note, however, that more Muslims than Christians have been victims of Boko Haram’s insurgency.
In response to Washington’s growing pressure, President Bola Tinubu dispatched a high-level delegation to the U.S. led by his National Security Adviser, accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Defence Intelligence, and the Inspector-General of Police. The delegation arrived in Washington on Wednesday for meetings with senior U.S. officials and lawmakers.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine were scheduled to meet Nigeria’s security team on Thursday. Pratt also confirmed that the delegation would hold talks with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
Pratt told lawmakers that despite ongoing concerns, he did not believe jihadist groups had infiltrated Nigeria’s government.
Jacob McGee, the State Department’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said that designating Nigeria as a country of particular concern had sent a strong signal to Abuja, but that much more action was required.
“We are planning engagement on the ground, both through our embassies there and other trips, to make sure Nigerians hear our very important message that they have to do better,”
McGee said.
