President Bola Tinubu said his administration is ready to work with President Donald Trump and other global leaders to halt the ongoing attacks on Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
“Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on the protection of communities of all faiths,” Tinubu said in a statement on Saturday, as concern grows over repeated assaults on Christians, particularly in northern Nigeria.
The remarks followed Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” after what he described as the “mass slaughter” of Christians. “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed,” Trump said. “Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern – but that is the least of it.”
Tinubu reaffirmed his government’s commitment to promoting peace, unity and religious tolerance. “Nigeria stands as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. Since 2023, our administration has maintained open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges affecting citizens across faiths and regions,” he said.
He rejected portrayals of Nigeria as religiously intolerant, saying such characterisations “do not reflect our national reality” or the government’s efforts to safeguard freedom of religion and belief. “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it,” Tinubu added.
