American rapper Nicki Minaj has raised global attention to alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria, calling for urgent international action during a United Nations event hosted by United States Ambassador, Mike Waltz, on Tuesday.
Minaj, who has repeatedly commented on the issue in recent months, said she was invited after her posts on X drew the attention of the U.S. diplomat.
She began by thanking former U.S. President Donald Trump for prioritizing the issue.
Minaj said music had shown her the power of unity across cultures and beliefs, adding that religious freedom should allow everyone to sing our faith.
She warned that faith was “under attack in way too many places.”
She said, “I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria and to combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to express their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.
“In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed. Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart and entire communities live in fear constantly simply because of how they pray,” she said, stressing that the crisis demands urgent action.
Minaj insisted her position was not political or divisive.
“I want to be clear, protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”
Concluding her remarks, she added: “I want to make it clear once again, 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 my entire career and I will continue to stand for that for the rest of my life.”
Her comments follow Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as a future addition to the list of Countries of Particular Concern.
The former president warned that the U.S. would immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria and could intervene militarily if attacks on Christians continued.