Nigeria, US intensify efforts to address CPC designation

Nigeria and the United States have intensified efforts to address Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), with both countries reviewing progress on religious freedom, accountability for perpetrators of violence and security cooperation.

The development followed the second session of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, hosted in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, and attended by a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

The meeting built on the outcome of the first session of the Joint Working Group, held in Abuja on January 22, 2026, as both countries continued discussions on concerns surrounding the CPC designation.

According to a media note issued by the US Department of State, the discussions focused on three priority areas: protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, holding perpetrators of violence accountable through stronger judicial and security institutions, and strengthening military-to-military cooperation.

The officials also reviewed progress on the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral communities, counterterrorism prosecutions and efforts to combat the financing of terrorism.

The United States, however, identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in transparency in humanitarian expenditure, and stressed the need for further action by the Nigerian government.

The US government acknowledged measures taken by Nigeria, particularly the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa (ISIS-WA) suspects, the expansion of judicial capacity and the recruitment and training of 50,000 additional police officers.

“Both sides acknowledged that more work lies ahead, particularly with supporting IDPs,” the State Department said.

The discussions also covered continued cooperation on countering terrorism financing, biometric information sharing to strengthen accountability and law enforcement capacity building.

The State Department said such capacity building would be undertaken through its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and Bureau ofCounterterrorism.

Military cooperation
The two countries also continued discussions on military-to-military cooperation at the Pentagon on Wednesday as Washington and Abuja seek to deepen their security partnership.

Separately, Hooker met with Ribadu to advance bilateral priorities and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with Nigeria to protect Christian communities and deepen joint security cooperation.

The latest engagement forms part of continuing efforts by Nigeria and the United States to address concerns over religious freedom and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly the protection of Christian communities in the Middle Belt.

The CPC designation has remained a sensitive issue in Nigeria-US relations.

The latest Joint Working Group discussions provide a framework for both countries to assess measures being taken by Nigeria and identify areas requiring further action, particularly in the areas of religious freedom, protection of civilians, accountability for violence and security cooperation.

The engagement also follows the earlier Abuja meeting of the Joint Working Group in January, underscoring the continued dialogue between the two countries on the issues surrounding the designation.