The United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa is to carry out public hearing on Thursday, November 20, 2025, to evaluate President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
The hearing billed for 11:00 am in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building and available via live webcast, will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ).
There would be two panels of witnesses, among whom are senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs has sent out invitations, reading, “You are respectfully requested to attend an open hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs to be held by the Subcommittee on Africa at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.”
The invitation gave the names of the panelists as Senior Bureau Official of the Bureau of African Affairs, Jonathan Pratt, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Jacob McGee.
The second panel has the Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom, Ms Nina Shea; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Catholic Diocese in Nigeria; and Ms Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic & International Studies as members.
The hearing woul review the scope of religious persecution in Nigeria, potential policy responses, including targeted sanctions, humanitarian assistance, and collaboration with Nigerian authorities to prevent further violence.
If the CPC designation is ratified by the Senate, the US will impose sanctions on Nigerian officials guilty of religious persecution and limit certain forms of bilateral assistance.
It also signals to the international community that religious freedom in Nigeria remains under serious threat
