Global rapper Nicki Minaj has stirred fresh debate after openly supporting former President Donald Trump’s claims that Christians in Nigeria are being persecuted.
Speaking at an event hosted by the US Embassy to the United Nations in New York, the award-winning rapper, whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, said that calling for the protection of Christians in Nigeria was “not about taking sides or dividing people… but about uniting humanity.”
The 42-year-old artist, who has previously spoken openly about her Christian faith, thanked Trump for “prioritising this issue and for his leadership,” adding that defending vulnerable believers was part of “what I’ve always stood for.”
Minaj described Nigeria as “a beautiful nation with deep faith traditions,” even giving a warm shout-out to her Nigerian fanbase, affectionately known as the “beautiful Barbz.”
Her comments come as conservative politicians and right-wing advocacy groups in Washington continue to claim that Islamist militants are systematically targeting Christians in the West African country.
But Nigerian officials have strongly rejected the allegations, calling them a “gross misrepresentation of reality.”
A government spokesperson said that violent extremist groups “attack all who reject their murderous ideology; Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike.”
Security analysts also caution against framing Nigeria’s complex violence as strictly religious, noting that jihadists and other armed groups have carried out deadly attacks across communities regardless of background or belief.
At the New York event, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz thanked Minaj for “leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria,” saying her influence could help bring more attention to the issue internationally.
As the debate intensifies, Minaj’s remarks have placed one of Africa’s largest nations at the centre of a renewed global conversation about security, religious freedom, and the accuracy of political narratives surrounding Nigeria’s long-running conflict.
