Nicki Minaj is still being interrogated by Dutch police

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz will appear alongside rapper Nicki Minaj at a UN event on Tuesday to address what the Trump administration characterises as widespread persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

The unexpected collaboration was arranged by Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz, who will also speak at the event. Waltz praised Minaj as 'not only arguably the greatest female recording artist, but also a principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice'.

The Trump Administration's Position

President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a 'Country of Particular Concern' in early November, claiming 'thousands of Christians are being killed' by 'radical Islamists' in what he called a 'mass slaughter'. Trump threatened to suspend aid and deploy the military 'guns-a-blazing' to 'completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities'.

Republican lawmakers have amplified these claims, with Rep Riley Moore (R-WV) asserting that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone and citing reports suggesting between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians killed since 2009. Trump's ambassador-designate for International Religious Freedom, Mark Walker, told Fox News that 'even being conservative, it's probably 4,000 to 8,000 Christians killed annually'.

The Contested Statistics

However, these figures have been widely disputed by experts and regional analysts. ABC News reported that both Muslims and Christians in Nigeria have been victims of violent attacks, which Al Jazeera described as 'multi-faceted' and 'driven by ethnic rivalries' and 'land disputes', with religion being 'often secondary'.

Nigeria has a population of 240 million, evenly split between Christians and Muslims. The violence stems from multiple sources, including Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and conflicts between predominantly Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farmers over land and resources in the Middle Belt region.

Nigeria's Response

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected Trump's characterisation, describing it as unnecessary and urging calm. Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Tinubu, stated: 'Nigeria is a partner nation to the US, not a hostile one. The "Christian genocide" narrative is a misrepresentation of our complex security reality, which affects citizens of all faiths. We remain committed to solving our challenges through lawful, peaceful, and collaborative means, not external interference'.

Minaj's Involvement

Minaj, who is Christian, initially responded to Trump's November designation with gratitude. 'Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude', she wrote. 'We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion'.

When Waltz invited her to participate in the UN event, Minaj replied: 'Ambassador, I am so grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude. I do not take it for granted. It means more than you know. The Barbz & I will never stand down in the face of injustice'.

The Broader Context

The collaboration has drawn criticism from some quarters as an unusual mixing of celebrity influence and foreign policy, particularly given the disputed nature of the administration's claims and concerns about potential military intervention in a sovereign nation.

The Tuesday event marks one of the most unconventional diplomatic initiatives of the Trump administration, leveraging celebrity influence to draw attention to religious freedom issues whilst raising questions about the accuracy of claims being made and the appropriateness of threatened military intervention.

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