American rapper Nicki Minaj has explained why she chose to publicly address the situation of Christians in Nigeria, citing her personal ties to the country and disturbing reports of violence against worshippers.
Minaj spoke on the issue during a surprise appearance at AmericaFest, where she responded to questions from the audience about Nigeria and religious persecution.
According to the rapper, Nigeria holds deep personal significance for her, making it difficult to remain silent amid reports of kidnappings and killings of Christians during church activities.
She revealed that her pastor is Nigerian and that she has a large fan base in the country, popularly known as “Nigerian Barbs.” These connections, she said, strengthened her resolve to speak up.
“Nigeria is a place I’ve always loved. Someone very dear to me, my pastor, is Nigerian, and I have lots of Nigerian barbs,” Minaj said.
“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.”
Minaj stressed that silence in the face of religious persecution only emboldens oppression, declaring that she is no longer willing to stay quiet on issues of faith.
“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 stated.
The rapper also spoke more broadly about religious freedom, noting that many people around the world do not enjoy the basic right to worship openly—freedoms often taken for granted in countries where they are protected.
“We take for granted that there, right now in this world, are people who cannot worship God as they please, where they please,” she said.
“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 former U.S. 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.
“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,” she wrote.
During the AmericaFest event, Minaj also praised Trump and Vice President JD Vance, saying they understand the concerns of ordinary people. She added that Christians face challenges even within the United States, stressing the importance 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,” she concluded.
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