Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, addressed a United Nations event on Tuesday, organized by the United States. During her appearance, Minaj supported allegations made by former U.S. President Donald Trump concerning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj stated, "In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted," adding that "Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart… simply because of how they pray." These statements follow previous remarks by President Trump regarding potential intervention in Nigeria if the killing of Christians persisted. Minaj expressed gratitude to Trump for "prioritizing this issue and for his leadership." She appeared alongside U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, who commended her for "leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria."
Minaj described her involvement as an effort to "unite humanity" and "stand up in the face of injustice," rather than taking sides.
In response to such allegations, the Nigerian presidency has stated that violence within the country impacts all citizens, regardless of their religious or ethnic background. The government acknowledges the presence of deadly violence, asserting that "Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology - Muslims, Christians and those of no faith alike."
Independent assessments, including those by the BBC, have indicated challenges in verifying data often cited by some politicians and campaigners in Washington regarding systematic targeting of Christians by Islamist militants. Analysts suggest that many deadly disputes are often fueled by competition over vital resources such as land and water, or by inter-ethnic tensions, rather than primarily religious motivations.
This appearance at the UN marks Minaj's most significant political engagement to date. Previously, Minaj has made public statements on various topics, including sharing unverified claims about the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. These claims were publicly criticized by UK medical officials and government figures. Minaj has also previously stated that she does not hold U.S. citizenship.