The United States (US) has removed Nigeria from the list of countries “engaging in violation of religious freedom”.
Nigeria was removed from its list of religious violators, even as it blacklisted Russia, China and eight other countries “as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, made this known in an issued statement yesterday, titled: ‘Religious Freedom Designations’, ahead of his visit to Nigeria.
He added that the American government had blacklisted Russia, China and eight others as Countries of “Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated ‘systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”.
Recall that in December 2020, the US had listed Nigeria among countries blacklisted for violating religious freedom.
Recall that the US had in 2020 placed Nigeria and six other countries on its special watch list of states that had engaged in or tolerated the severe violation of religious freedom. However, the country was missing from the list of countries designated in the 2021 list for religious violations.
Blinken, who is currently in Kenya on an official visit, is scheduled to physically visit Nigeria this week and meet with President Muhammadu Buhari and other members of his cabinet.
