SNOW TV NEWS DESK
The United States has maintained that Nigeria should remain designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), arguing that the Nigerian government has yet to demonstrate sufficient progress in protecting vulnerable Christian communities from persistent attacks.
The position was reinforced on Thursday by US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, during a congressional hearing on insecurity and religious violence in Nigeria.
Responding to questions from Congressman Riley Moore, Garcia acknowledged that despite ongoing security cooperation between Washington and Abuja, violence across parts of Nigeria continues, with communities in states such as Plateau and Kaduna still facing deadly attacks.
Moore specifically questioned the Nigerian government’s response to armed groups, particularly the continued existence of militia strongholds and kidnapping camps across the Middle Belt. He also expressed concern over the exclusion of Benue and Plateau states from the forest guard initiative and delays in deploying 1,000 previously approved forest guards to Plateau State.
Insisting that Nigeria had not earned a reprieve, Moore warned against removing the CPC designation, stressing that the country’s security challenges required more than government assurances.
Garcia agreed that progress remained inadequate, admitting that Nigeria’s security capabilities were still being developed and that the deployment of personnel was not happening quickly enough.
Although he highlighted American support through police training, equipment supplies, intelligence sharing, and efforts to disrupt terrorist financing, he acknowledged that these interventions had yet to translate into an end to the violence.
The US position places renewed pressure on President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly as Nigeria continues to face criticism over its ability to protect rural communities, prevent mass killings, and bring perpetrators to justice.
However, the CPC debate also highlights a wider disagreement over how Nigeria’s insecurity should be understood. While some American lawmakers and religious advocacy groups describe the killings as evidence of systematic persecution of Christians, the Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of a Christian genocide.
Abuja maintains that insecurity affects Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines, pointing to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence as interconnected challenges requiring a broader security response.
Ultimately, the significance of Washington’s position goes beyond diplomatic criticism. Retaining the CPC designation signals that the United States expects measurable improvements, not simply promises of reform.
For Nigeria, the challenge is increasingly clear: restoring public confidence will require faster security deployments, effective intelligence operations, protection for vulnerable communities, and credible prosecution of those responsible for attacks, regardless of their victims’ religious identities.
Until such progress becomes visible on the ground, pressure from Washington is unlikely to disappear.
“Sir Bartholomew White Ebe is a Lagos-based media personality, Music Artist, Producer, and a Relationship Coach and independent journalist. With over seven years of experience tracking political developments and cultural shifts in Nigeria, he specializes in local current affairs, grassroots politics, and community-driven reporting across Lagos State. As the founder and chief editor of Snow Multimedia Connect {SNOW TV}, he leads the editorial team to deliver verified, high-impact stories to digital audiences.”
Email: snowmediaconnect@gmail.com
