Topline
Rapper Nicki Minaj and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on social media they will deliver remarks together this week about violence against Christians in Nigeria, a cause Minaj recently embraced, though some experts dismiss claims Christians are disproportionately targeted by extremist groups.
Nicki Minaj will speak with Ambassador Mike Waltz about attacks on Christians in Nigeria. (Photo by Savion Washington/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Waltz confirmed he will speak with Minaj in a post Sunday night on X, stating he looks forward to “standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking” to combat Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Waltz made his post in response to a Time reporter who said Minaj and Waltz will speak alongside Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz on Tuesday, though other details about the event remain unclear.
Minaj said Sunday night on X she is “grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude,” adding she and her fans will “never stand down in the face of injustice.”
The event comes after Minaj has made multiple posts on social media calling attention to violence against Christians in Nigeria, ostensibly referring to attacks by militant groups that experts say target large numbers of both Christian and Muslim Nigerians.
Are Christians Really Being Persecuted In Nigeria?
Experts acknowledge militant groups have carried out attacks targeting Christians in Nigeria, though similar attacks also target Muslims, and the little data available suggests Christians are not targeted at a higher rate. Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, a crisis monitoring group, reported more than 20,000 people were killed in Nigeria between January 2020 and September 2025, including 317 Christians and 417 Muslims, though the religious affiliation of most of the victims are unknown. The organization dismissed a claim by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that “Christian mass murder” is occurring in Nigeria, stating religious violence is “far more complex” and not limited to Christians. In a 2024 report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said extremist groups including Boko Haram have targeted “large numbers of Christians and Muslims in several states across Nigeria” as well as religious minorities. Nnamdi Obasi, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group think tank, told CNN claims of “mass slaughter of Christians are seriously misread and exaggerate the challenges of interfaith relations in the country.” The Associated Press reported violence in Nigeria can be religiously motivated, but are also sometimes clashes between farmers and herders and ethnic conflicts. Nigeria has resisted claims it is persecuting Christians: Nigerian information minister Mohammed Idris said in a statement earlier this month claims of religious genocide are “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive,” adding Christianity is “neither endangered nor marginalized in Nigeria.”
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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2025/11/17/nicki-minaj-says-she-will-speak-with-un-ambassador-about-violence-against-christians-in-nigeria/
