WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting senior Nigerian officials accused of involvement in religious freedom violations, escalating Washington’s pressure on Abuja just weeks after relisting the country among the world’s worst offenders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures aim to hold accountable individuals who “knowingly direct, authorize, fund, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom” in Nigeria or elsewhere.
The policy will apply to both government actors and non-state perpetrators.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the atrocities and violence against Christians in Nigeria and around the world,” Rubio said in a statement posted Wednesday. “The State Department will restrict U.S. visas for those responsible for persecution based on religious belief.”
The United States is taking decisive action in response to the atrocities and violence against Christians in Nigeria and around the world. The @StateDept will restrict U.S. visas for those who knowingly direct, authorize, fund, support, or carry out violations of religious
Nigeria Back on U.S. Watchlist
The announcement comes one month after Washington returned Nigeria to its Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list — a designation reserved for states accused of systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. Others on the list include China, Russia, and Pakistan.
The relisting has drawn strong reactions in Nigeria, where religious tensions routinely intersect with politics and security.
Africa’s most populous nation of more than 200 million people is split along religious and ethnic lines, with a predominantly Muslim north and largely Christian south.
Context Behind the Violence
Nigeria has battled jihadist insurgencies for over 15 years, led by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), whose attacks have devastated communities, mainly in the northeast.
While international reports highlight killings of Christians, security researchers say the narrative often oversimplifies the conflict.
“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa often present their campaigns as anti-Christian, but in practice their violence is indiscriminate and devastates entire communities,” said Ladd Serwat, senior Africa analyst at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).
ACLED data shows that of nearly 1,923 attacks on civilians recorded in Nigeria this year, only about 50 were explicitly religiously motivated against Christians — far from exaggerated claims circulating in some U.S. conservative circles, where figures as high as 100,000 Christian deaths since 2009 have been cited without evidence.
What the Visa Policy Means
The State Department has not released the names or number of Nigerians who could be affected by the visa restrictions.
The measure, however, signals heightened U.S. scrutiny as Washington seeks to deter abuses and push for stronger protections for religious minorities.
