American rapper Nicki Minaj has explained her decision to publicly address the situation of Christians in Nigeria, pointing to personal connections with the country and disturbing reports of violence against worshippers.
Nicki Minaj spoke on the issue during a surprise appearance at AmericaFest, where she responded to questions from members of the audience. When asked about Nigeria, the rapper said the country holds deep personal meaning for her and that reports of attacks on Christians have been especially troubling.
She revealed that her pastor is Nigerian and that she enjoys strong support from fans in the country, popularly referred to as “Nigerian barbs.” According to her, these ties made it impossible to remain silent in the face of reports of kidnappings and killings linked to church activities.
She said:
“Nigeria is a place I’ve always loved. Someone very dear to me, my pastor, is Nigerian, and I have lots of Nigerian barbs.
“So hearing that people are being kidnapped while they’re in church, people are being killed, brutalised, all because of their religion that should spark outrage.”
Nicki Minaj stressed that remaining silent only encourages oppression, adding that she is no longer willing to keep quiet on issues of faith and persecution.
“We’re not backing down anymore. We are not going to be silenced by the bullies anymore. We will speak up for Christians wherever they are in this world,” she said.
The rapper also addressed the broader topic of religious freedom, noting that many people around the world do not enjoy the basic right to worship openly. She warned that such freedoms are often taken for granted in countries where they are protected.
She said,
“We take for granted that there, right now in this world, are people who cannot worship God as they please, where they please.
“Every time we pray in fellowship, we have to remember the people that are right now in this world hiding to pray in fellowship, and we have to pray for them.”
Her comments come weeks after she reacted to a social media post by United States President Donald Trump, who claimed that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria.” At the time, Minaj expressed gratitude for the freedom to worship and condemned religious persecution.
She wrote,
“Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practising their religion.”
During the AmericaFest event, Minaj also praised Trump and Vice President JD Vance, stating that they understand the concerns of everyday people. Nicki Minaj added that Christians face challenges even within the United States, emphasizing the role of leadership in protecting religious freedom.
“Christians have been persecuted right here in our country in different ways. So when we talk about Nigeria and other countries, know that prior administrations saw nothing wrong with that, and that’s what was wrong with them,” Nicki minaj concluded.
