U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 (S. 2747) to address what he describes as “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom” in Nigeria, particularly targeting the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities.
The core of the bill is to impose concrete diplomatic and economic consequences on Nigerian officials found to be complicit in, or tolerating, religious violence and the enforcement of blasphemy laws.
If the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 becomes law, the consequences for Nigeria could be significant, triggering both diplomatic isolation and direct economic pain for sanctioned officials. The mandatory designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) would carry a severe diplomatic stain, potentially leading to restrictions on U.S. non-humanitarian aid, military cooperation, and a negative reassessment of the overall bilateral relationship.
Crucially, the imposition of targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on federal officials, state governors, and judicial personnel would create immense pressure on the Nigerian political class to end the enforcement of blasphemy laws and demonstrate effective action against religiously motivated violence.
Below is a summary of the bill’s key mandates and provisions, based on the text and related official statements:
1. Mandatory Designation of Nigeria
The bill requires the U.S. Secretary of State to take the following actions under the International Religious Freedom Act:
- Designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC): This designation is mandatory and signifies that the Federal Republic of Nigeria engages in or tolerates “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.” This reverses the U.S. State Department’s decision in 2021 to remove Nigeria from the CPC list.
- Designate Extremist Groups as Entities of Particular Concern (EPC): The bill requires that Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa (ISWAP) remain designated as Entities of Particular Concern.
The Secretary of State may only waive the CPC designation if they determine that neither Boko Haram nor ISIS-West Africa is operating in Nigeria, and that the federal and all state governments in Nigeria are not currently enforcing blasphemy laws.
2. Imposition of Targeted Sanctions
The bill mandates that the U.S. President impose sanctions (described in Executive Order 13818, relating to serious human rights abuse and corruption) on specific categories of Nigerian persons. These sanctions typically include travel bans and asset freezes (blocking property).
Sanctions are to be applied to:
| Category of Official | Qualifying Actions |
| Federal Officials or State Governors | (i) Promoting, enacting, or maintaining Nigerian blasphemy laws (through public advocacy, legislative action, or executive enforcement directives). |
| (ii) Tolerating violence by non-state actors (including Foreign Terrorist Organizations like Boko Haram or SDGTs) who commit acts of violence invoking religious justifications. | |
| Judges, Magistrates, Prison Officials, or other Judicial/Law Enforcement Authorities | Enforcing blasphemy laws, including through prosecution, conviction, imprisonment, or other deprivation of liberty of individuals pursuant to such laws. |
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3. Accountability Report Requirements
The bill requires the Secretary of State to submit an annual report, starting within 90 days of the bill’s enactment, to the appropriate congressional committees. This report must explicitly list the Nigerian persons identified as qualifying for the sanctions outlined above.
- Retroactive Accountability: For the first report, the period of examination for sanctionable actions extends back 10 years before the date of the Act’s enactment.
- Definition of Blasphemy: The bill defines “Nigerian blasphemy laws” as provisions in Nigeria’s criminal, penal, or Shari’a codes that criminalize expression, behavior, or belief perceived as insulting religion.
In essence, the bill aims to hold Nigerian government officials—from state governors to judicial personnel—personally accountable for either actively enforcing blasphemy statutes or passively allowing extremist violence against religious minorities to occur with impunity.
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