LEADER of the United States congressional delegation to Nigeria, Mr Bill Huizenga, says Nigeria’s designation as a ‘country of particular concern’ is warranted.
The delegation had a press briefing on Sunday after concluding its visit to Nigeria in Abuja, following meetings with senior government officials, religious leaders, civil society actors, and representatives from the private sector.
The team were in Nigeria on the directive of U.S. President Donald Trump amid American allegation of Christian genocide in Nigeria and Mr Trump’s decision to reinstate Nigeria on the CPC list.
Mr Huizenga, who represents Michigan in the U.S. Congress, said the designation was not meant to isolate Nigeria but to encourage dialogue on how the nation would raise its security game.
“The purpose was not simply to send messages, but also to receive information. The feedback from Nigerian officials suggest the designation has already triggered internal conversations within government,” he said on Sunday.
Huizenga, however, said the CPC tag was subject to regular review and was not meant to be permanent.
READ ALSO: American rights group presses UN to curb escalating violence against Nigerian Christians
On whether the designation could push Nigeria to seek alternative global partners, Huizenga said: “True friends don’t walk away from tough conversations.”
He expressed hope that it would be seen as a step toward deeper engagement rather than disengagement, noting that the U.S. was not just concerned about protecting Christians but was interested in protecting all Nigerians, irrespective of their faith.
He noted that there were violence affecting Christian communities in the Middle Belt, but also stressed significant violence against Muslim communities in parts of the North-East and North-West.
“My encouragement to the Nigerian government is to take seriously the effort to protect all of their citizens,” he noted.
“The U.S. has both interest and a strategic reason to support Nigeria in that effort.”
“This is not about punishing people. The focus is on government responsibility, and on encouraging real, measurable progress,” he said.
On how U.S. authorities could distinguish between terrorism-driven violence and religiously motivated persecution in Nigeria, Mr Huizenga said both existed but required different responses.
He cited Boko Haram and other terrorist groups as operating largely in distinct regions from communal and religious conflicts in states such as Benue and Plateau.
“Dealing with Borno State could be very different than dealing with Benue or Plateau. Those are different regions with different circumstances, and the resources needed will be different,” he said.
He acknowledged that Nigeria’s security challenges were complex and required region-specific responses.
Mr Huizenga, a senior member of the U.S. House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, said Nigeria’s relations with the U.S. was critical, stressing that the delegation arrived in Nigeria to gain first-hand insight rather than rely solely on reports and political debate in Washington.
“We are here because the U.S.–Nigeria relationship is critical to both countries. With the redesignation as a country of particular concern and the discussions happening in Congress, it was important to come here, look people eye to eye, have frank conversations, and learn,” he said.
READ ALSO: Christians face 5 times higher risk of deadly attacks in Nigeria, claims U.S. lawmaker
He said the delegation met government officials, community leaders, business leaders and religious figures, many of whom made time despite the busy Christmas period.
Mr Huizenga argued that Nigeria’s stability was central not only to Africa’s progress but to global prosperity.
Another Congressman, Mr Keith Self, said the U.S. was not desperate to deploy troops to Nigeria, acknowledging, however, that Nigeria might need support.
“Nigeria needs to deal with this within its own sphere of influence,” Self said. “External assistance should focus on resources, cooperation and capacity-building rather than ‘boots on the ground.’”
He said Nigeria should have strong debates about what was happening within so that the government could get the data needed to understand the truth on the ground.
On his part, another member of the US House of Representatives, Mr Michael Baumgartner, described Nigeria as critical to Africa’s success.
He said the CPC designation was viewed by some Nigerian officials as a positive step that drew attention to long-standing security and religious freedom challenges.
“There was recognition that it is a serious issue and that there needs to be a concerted effort within Nigeria to deal with it. I believe that the U.S.–Nigeria relationship will only grow in importance.”
Yet another member of the delegation, Mr Jefferson Shreve, said the visit was not purely investigative but an investment in Nigeria’s future.
“This trip has been about listening and learning. America will prosper if there are prosperous, stable democracies across the globe, and we want to see Nigeria succeed,” he said.
The delegation also addressed public concern over reports of visa restrictions for Nigerians.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Richard Mills, said the visit was a reflection of strong bipartisan interest in sustaining a forward-looking U.S.–Nigeria relationship.
He noted that discussions during the visit focused on shared priorities, including strengthening democratic institutions, expanding economic and trade opportunities, and addressing the underlying concerns that informed the CPC designation.
“This visit reflects the bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress for a strong, forward-looking U.S.–Nigeria relationship, and an opportunity to address the concerns that underlie the designation,” the ambassador said.
Visa restriction against Nigeria
The U.S. recently added Nigeria to the list of nations on partial entry restrictions to the United States in a new measure targeted at “protecting the security of the United States.”
A new Proclamation released by the White House on Tuesday said that President Trump added Nigeria and 14 other nations to the list of countries partially restricted from entering the U.S., which also included Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
On the reason for including Nigeria to the list, the Proclamation said, “Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties. According to the Overstay Report, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 11.90 percent.”
In his response, Mr Mills outlined specific categories affected and noted that exceptions remained, including for diplomatic, official and certain religious visas.
He said the measures were part of efforts to ensure credible vetting processes and protect U.S. security, urging Nigerians to consult official information published by the U.S. Embassy.
