American rapper Nicki Minaj is scheduled to deliver a speech at the United Nations on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. ET to bring international attention to the massacre of Christians in Nigeria, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz announced on Monday.
The Starships singer was credited by Waltz on Monday to be “the greatest female recording artist” and a “principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice.”
“I'm grateful she's leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters,” Waltz shared.
In response to the message, Minaj thanked the ambassador and wrote that she was “grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude.”
“The Barbz (Minaj’s fanbase) & I will never stand down in the face of injustice. We’ve been given our influence by God,” she continued. “There must be a bigger purpose.”
Waltz and Minaj have shared a number of social media interactions in recent weeks as the singer thanked US President Donald Trump for taking a strong stance against the attacks on Nigerian Christians.
African officials deny claims of anti-Christian genocide in Nigeria
There is no genocide in northern Nigeria, the African Union Commission chairperson said on Wednesday, rejecting accusations by Trump that "very large numbers" of Christians were being killed in Africa's most populous country.
"What's going on in northern part of Nigeria has nothing to do with the kind of atrocities we see in Sudan or in some part of eastern DRC," Mahmoud Ali Youssouf told reporters at the United Nations in New York, referring to Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Think twice before... making such statements," he said. "The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians."
The extremist Islamist armed group Boko Haram has also terrorized northeast Nigeria, an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people over the past 15 years. Human rights experts have said most Boko Haram victims have been Muslims.
Trump earlier this month said he has asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible "fast" military action if Nigeria fails to crack down on the killing of Christians. He did not provide any specific evidence for his accusation.
He also threatened to "stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
Nigeria's Foreign Ministry said the country would continue fighting violent extremism and hoped Washington would remain a close ally, stating that it "will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion."
Nigeria, which has 200 ethnic groups practicing Christianity, Islam, and traditional religions, has a long history of peaceful coexistence. But it has also seen flare-ups of violence among groups, often exacerbated by ethnic divisions or conflict over scarce resources.
Nigeria rejects US religious freedom designation, says it is based on 'faulty data'
Earlier this month, Nigeria's government rejected its designation by the US as a "country of particular concern" over alleged religious freedom violations, saying the move was based on misinformation and faulty data.
Trump put Nigeria back on a list of countries that the US says have violated religious freedom, and said he had asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible "fast" military action if Nigeria does not crack down on the killing of Christians.
Washington's decision to designate Nigeria as a violator of religious freedoms has strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Defending Nigeria's record, Information Minister Mohammed Idris told a press briefing that Trump's threats of military action were unwarranted and misrepresented Nigeria's complex security challenges.
"Any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian State is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data," Idris said.
Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede said on Monday the country faced terrorism, not persecution of Christians, and the Nigerian presidency has said it would welcome US help in fighting Islamist insurgents as long as the country's territorial integrity is respected.
Idris said President Bola Tinubu's government had made significant progress in tackling terrorism since taking office in May 2023.
"The Government of Nigeria remains open and willing to work closely with the Government of the United States, other friendly nations and partners, to achieve our shared goal, the complete elimination of terrorism on Nigerian soil," Idris said.
More than 13,500 terrorists have been killed, 17,000 suspects arrested, and over 11,200 hostages — including women and children — rescued, he said.
Idris said terrorism affected both Christians and Muslims, and that the government is committed to ending extremist violence through military action, regional cooperation and dialogue with international partners.