Nigeria has criticised the United States for excluding it from a United Nations event hosted by American rapper Nicki Minaj, describing the action as unfair and unacceptable, mainly as the discussion centred on allegations of targeted killings of Nigerians belonging to a specific faith group.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Chargé d’Affaires of Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Syndoph Endoni, said shutting Nigeria out of a conversation about its internal security challenges amounted to “shaving our head in our absence.”
The event, held at the UN headquarters in New York in collaboration with the U.S. Mission to the UN, followed intensified accusations from U.S. officials—amplified by President Donald Trump—that Christians in Nigeria face systematic persecution. Trump recently designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alleged Christian genocide.
Endoni firmly rejected the claims, saying the Nigerian government has repeatedly refuted allegations of state-backed religious persecution.
“It is important that the country at the centre of such serious accusations is present, aware, and has a voice,” he said. “You should not make decisions or take action on matters concerning a country without its presence or consent.”
He added that by excluding Nigeria, the U.S. had denied the government the opportunity to present its side of the story. The envoy also questioned why only a few countries were allowed into the meeting while Nigeria was deliberately shut out.
“We asked the U.S. authorities if it was acceptable to continue shaving someone’s hair in his absence,” he said. “We emphasised that the Nigerian government is not standing idly by while criminals perpetrate atrocities.”
Endoni stressed that the fight against insecurity in Nigeria requires collaboration, not unilateral actions that could fuel tension or misunderstanding.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), U.S. Senior Advisor for African Affairs, Ambassador Patricia Mahoney, had visited the Nigerian House in New York a day earlier to brief Endoni about the event.
She reportedly disclosed that the meeting was classified as a private gathering and that participants—including a Nigerian pastor—specifically requested that no Nigerian government officials be allowed, citing fear of possible retribution.
Endoni criticised this justification, warning that public “naming and shaming” could heighten anxiety and misrepresent the country’s efforts.
He reaffirmed that Nigeria would continue to engage Washington constructively on the activities of extremist groups and remain committed to protecting lives and property across the country.
