The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a Nigerian think tank, has strongly criticized the United States' decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), attributing the move to biased and misleading information from local and international groups.
Questionable Data Sources
In a policy statement signed by its Chairman, Dr. Omoniyi Akinsiju, IMPI argued that President Donald Trump's decision was influenced by organizations with hidden agendas seeking to undermine Nigeria's international standing. The think tank described the designation as unjust and unreflective of the actual situation in Nigeria.
IMPI expressed particular concern about how vested interest groups are manipulating terrorism-related data to portray Nigeria as a country where Christians face existential threats. The organization emphasized that Nigeria has made significant progress in promoting religious freedom and interfaith harmony.
Discrepancies in Fatality Figures
The think tank highlighted substantial differences between data from international NGOs and established global terrorism indexes. IMPI researchers found that organizations like Intersociety and Open Doors have consistently reported inflated figures that don't match official statistics.
According to IMPI's analysis, the Global Terrorism Index reported only 392 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria during 2022 - the lowest level since 2011. This contrasts sharply with Intersociety's claim that 5,068 Christians were massacred in the same year and Open Doors' report of 5,014 Christians killed for their faith.
The pattern continued in subsequent years, with advocacy groups reporting thousands of faith-based killings while the Global Terrorism Index documented much lower figures - 533 fatalities in 2023 and 565 in 2024.
Historical Pattern of Data Manipulation
IMPI's investigation revealed that this trend of data inflation isn't new. The think tank tracked Intersociety's activities since 2019 and found consistent discrepancies between their reports and established data sources.
In 2019, while the Global Terrorism Index reported a 39.1% decrease in terrorism deaths to 1,245 fatalities, Intersociety claimed between 1,000 and 1,200 'Christian deaths' for the same period. IMPI noted that the group appeared to attribute virtually all reported fatalities to Christian deaths.
The think tank described this as a deliberate strategy to inflame divisive passions and justify Nigeria's CPC designation by the American government.
Call for Evidence-Based Assessment
IMPI urged the US government to verify and validate data before making such significant decisions about Nigeria's religious freedom status. The organization emphasized that better understanding through government-to-government engagement would lead to Nigeria's removal from the CPC list.
The think tank condemned any loss of life in Nigeria but stressed that the actual data from credible sources cannot be described as genocide by any stretch of imagination. IMPI called for assessments based on verifiable facts rather than politically motivated reports.
IMPI concluded that the circulation of falsehoods in the campaign to designate Nigeria as a CPC jurisdiction has become a worrisome trend that needs to be addressed through factual, evidence-based dialogue between the two nations.
