The Presidency says the decision by the U.S. government to place Nigeria on its Watch List does not make Nigeria a country of concern on religious freedom.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria on this development, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said Nigeria and the U.S. would deliberate on the matter early next year.
According to him, placing Nigeria on U.S. watch list carries no immediate implication, and that does not in any way make the country an area of concern as being asserted in some quarters.
The presidential aide maintained that Nigeria as geo-political entity had no policy that promotes one religion against the other.
According to Shehu, the right to freedom of worship for all citizens is guaranteed in the Nigerian constitution.
The U.S. government was last week reported to have added Nigeria to a special watch list of countries that have engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom.
