Rapper Nicki Minaj has used her platform at the United Nations in New York on 18 November 2025 to raise alarm over what she described as the worsening plight of Christians in Nigeria.
The Grammy-winning superstar said believers were being “targeted, driven from their homes, and killed,” urging world leaders to take action.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted. Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart … simply because of how they pray,” Minaj said during her address.
The ‘Super Bass’ hitmaker thanked United States President Donald Trump for highlighting the issue internationally.
“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritising this issue on the global stage and calling for urgent actions to defend Christians in Nigeria to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief,” she added.
Born Onika Maraj, Minaj described Nigeria as a beautiful country with a rich culture, emphasising that her intervention was driven by humanitarian concern rather than politics.
“I want to make it very clear, once again, that this isn’t about taking sides. This is about standing up in the face of injustice. It’s about what I’ve always stood for,” she said.
Her appearance followed an invitation from the United States’ UN Ambassador, Michael Waltz, who hailed her as a “fearless advocate” using her influence for global good.
“I’m grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters,” Waltz wrote on X.
The issue has drawn increasing attention in the US, with President Trump warning that military intervention could be considered if the Nigerian government fails to curb violent Islamist groups. He has since designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern.”
According to Fox News, Trump also asked lawmakers Riley Moore and Tom Cole to investigate what he described as the mass killing of Christians.
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!” he said, according to the New York Post.
However, Nigerian authorities have firmly rejected claims of religious persecution. The government insists that the constitution guarantees freedom of worship for all citizens.
According to Al Jazeera, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar presented a document titled “Nigeria’s Constitutional Commitment to Religious Freedom and Rule of Law” as proof of the state’s position.
“All the answers are in there. This is what guides us. It’s impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape or form by the government of Nigeria at any level,” he said.