The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the administration of President Donald Trump to assign a Special Envoy to Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin to address religious persecution in the region. 

In its most recent annual report, published in March 2025, USCIRF advised the Trump administration to establish this position to strengthen U.S. diplomatic initiatives aimed at curbing religious oppression and preventing atrocities in the area. 

Earlier, SaharaReporters revealed that USCIRF had criticized President Bola Tinubu's government, along with state authorities, for either permitting or inadequately addressing religiously motivated violent attacks by nonstate actors. 
The report indicated that extremist groups, including Islamist militants and Fulani armed factions, have relentlessly targeted religious communities in Nigeria, leading to devastating consequences. 

Additionally, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. State Department classify Nigeria, along with Afghanistan, India, and Vietnam, as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). It further proposed the redesignation of 12 countries—including China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia—as CPCs and advocated for Algeria and Azerbaijan to remain on the Special Watch List (SWL) while adding 10 more nations, such as Egypt, Indonesia, and Turkey. 

The commission also pushed for the reclassification of Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) as Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs), alongside groups like al-Shabaab, the Houthis, and Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). 
USCIRF criticized Nigeria's enforcement of blasphemy laws, which impose penalties of up to two years in prison for perceived religious insults. It reported that multiple state governments enacted even harsher blasphemy laws, leading to the imprisonment of individuals from various religious backgrounds, including Christians, Muslims, and humanists. 

At the end of 2024, at least five individuals remained imprisoned on blasphemy charges, including Mubarak Bala and Yahaya Sharif-Aminu. Bala, a humanist, was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2022 for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad, though his sentence was later reduced to five years. Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim, was sentenced to death in 2020 for "insulting religious beliefs," but his case was ordered for retrial in 2021 and remains pending. Other individuals, such as Sheikh Abduljabar Nasiru Kabara and Abdulazeez Inyass, also face severe punishments under these laws. 

USCIRF also highlighted government actions against indigenous religious practices. In July, the Anambra State government demolished a traditional shrine, following pressure from the governor and Catholic leaders calling for the eradication of what they deemed "neo-pagan practices." 

The commission's report described Nigeria's overall religious freedom situation in 2024 as dire, with federal and state governments failing to curb or even tolerating religiously motivated violence. Groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP continued their attacks, while criminal bandits also participated in targeting religious communities. 

The report documented numerous violent incidents, including: 
- The killing of 14 people, including a pastor, in Yobe State by Boko Haram militants in January. 
- The abduction of 160 mostly Christian children and the murder of eight people by al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru fighters in Niger State in May. 
- ISWAP's execution of three Christians, with images of the killings shared online. 
- The alleged killing of 15 individuals in Kebbi State by the Lakurawa group, which aims to impose strict Shari'a law. 
- The deaths of at least 49 people in Zamfara State and 10 farmers in Niger State in May due to attacks by armed bandits. 
- The killing of 70 Christians and the abduction of 20 students in Benue State in August. 

USCIRF condemned the Nigerian government's lackluster response to these attacks, noting that security forces often acted too slowly, leading to further harm to religious minorities. 

The report also estimated that approximately 30,000 Fulani militants operate in various factions across northwest Nigeria, with groups ranging from 10 to 1,000 members. These militants have been accused of disproportionately targeting Christian communities and imposing unlawful taxes on farmers, disrupting food production and worsening economic hardships.