WASHINGTON — The United States is weighing sanctions and possible military involvement in counterterrorism operations to press Nigeria to strengthen protections for Christian communities, a senior State Department official told lawmakers on Thursday.
Jonathan Pratt, head of the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the Trump administration is “developing a plan to incentivize and compel the Nigerian government to better protect Christian communities and improve religious freedom.” He said the package under review would include actions by the State and Treasury departments and potential Pentagon participation in counterterrorism activities — a move Pratt described using the term “Department of War,” echoing President Donald Trump’s unconventional reference to the Pentagon.
Pratt said Washington is closely scrutinizing the security assistance it provides to Nigeria, including how aid is used, its effectiveness and the intelligence-sharing arrangements between the two countries. “We remain open to working together with the Nigerians, but we also expect the Nigerian government to deliver results on the ground as proof of their commitment to this universal right,” Pratt wrote on X shortly after his appearance.
The testimony came after President Trump in early November warned that the United States could take military action if Abuja fails to curb attacks on Christians and announced the suspension of all U.S. aid to Nigeria. In October, the State Department returned Nigeria to its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) for religious-freedom violations, a designation that carries potential legal and diplomatic consequences.
Jacob McGee, deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, told the committee the CPC designation had “captured the attention” of Nigerian authorities but added that “a lot more needs to be done.” He said U.S. officials plan increased engagement on the ground to convey a clear message to Nigerian leaders: “They have to do better.”
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is home to more than 200 ethnic groups and a mix of Christian, Muslim and traditional faiths. While the country has a long history of peaceful coexistence, it has also experienced periodic sectarian and communal violence driven by ethnic tensions, resource disputes and Islamist extremism. The Islamist group Boko Haram has waged a 15-year insurgency in the northeast that human rights organizations say has killed tens of thousands, most of them Muslims.
Nigerian officials have rejected claims of systemic persecution, saying attacks often stem from overlapping security challenges and are sometimes mischaracterized. A high-level Nigerian delegation — including the national security adviser, the defence chief, the chief of defence intelligence and the police chief — is in Washington this week for meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Pentagon officials.
Pratt reassured lawmakers that he did not believe Nigeria’s government had been infiltrated by jihadists, but reiterated that U.S. assistance and cooperation would be conditioned on demonstrable improvements in protecting communities of all faiths.
