Nigeria, Nov. 6 -- The Federal Government of Nigeria has said the United States government's designation of Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) was based on misreading the country's security realities and progress in tackling terrorism.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the label and accompanying rhetoric from the US government stemmed from a wrong perception of Nigeria's complex security landscape.

The US recently designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) amid claims of "Christian Genocide" among a section of America's political commentators. However, the Nigerian government and several other groups have dismi...