American rapper Nicki Minaj has drawn global attention to alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria, calling for urgent international action during a United Nations event hosted on Tuesday by United States Ambassador Mike Waltz.
Minaj, who has frequently spoken about the issue in recent months, revealed that she was invited to the event after her posts on X caught the attention of the U.S. diplomat.
Opening her remarks, she thanked President Donald Trump for prioritizing the issue on the world stage.
Minaj said her music career had shown her the power of unity across cultures and beliefs, noting that religious freedom should allow everyone to express their faith freely. She warned that “faith is under attack in way too many places.”
She continued:
“I would like to thank President Trump for prioritizing this issue and for his leadership on the global stage in calling for urgent action to defend Christians in Nigeria, to combat extremism, and to stop the 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 constant fear simply because of how they pray.”
Minaj stressed that her advocacy is not political, but humanitarian.
“I want to be clear: protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity.”
She concluded by reaffirming her commitment to speaking out:
“This isn’t about taking sides. It’s about standing up in the face of injustice. It’s what I’ve always stood for throughout my career, and I will continue to stand for it for the rest of my life.”
Her remarks come after President Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as a future addition to the U.S. list of Countries of Particular Concern. The president warned that the United States would immediately halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria — and could consider military intervention — if attacks on Christians continue.
