Nigeria to engage US on removal from religious freedom blacklist, FG says

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has disclosed that the Federal Government will engage the U.S. government to remove its name from its blacklist of countries over concern on religious freedom.

Spokesperson for the ministry, Ferdinand Nwonye, gave the stand of the FG in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, following the announcement of the U.S. adding Nigeria among countries of concerns against its Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

The Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday, designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom, the rare inclusion of a fellow democracy in the US effort to shame nations into action.

“Today the U.S. designates Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as countries of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for engaging systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations.” He wrote on Twitter

In their reaction, the foreign affairs ministry said the Nigerian government is committed to ensuring respect and protection of all citizens’ right to religious freedom and promotion of religious tolerance and harmony.

“The attention of the ministry has been drawn to an announcement made by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stating that the government of the United States of America has designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government will be so designated. “Although the Nigerian state is multi-religious and multi-ethnic, the Nigerian constitution expressly states that the government shall not adopt any religion as the state religion.

“Furthermore, section 38 of the constitution guarantees that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion including freedom to change his/her religion or belief. “And freedom to manifest and propagate his/her religion or belief. Religious liberty in Nigeria has never been in question, therefore any claim contrary to that is completely false and untrue.

“The ministry wishes to assure that the Nigerian government will engage the U.S government to express its displeasure and request that Nigeria is removed from the list,” it said.