Nigeria Condemns US Decision to Bar Its Participation in UN Discussion on Alleged Christian Genocide

Nigeria on Tuesday voiced concern over the United States’ decision to exclude it from an event hosted by American rapper Nicki Minaj at the UN headquarters in New York. The discussion, held in partnership with the US Permanent Mission to the UN, focused on alleged killings of Nigerians from a specific faith group without Nigeria’s involvement.

Chargé d’Affaires of Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Syndoph Endoni, said the exclusion amounted to “shaving our head in our absence.” He stressed that decisions about a country cannot be made fairly when the country is neither invited nor allowed to speak.

The Minaj event came amid continued accusations by the US government that Christians in Nigeria are facing persecution. The claim followed former President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian genocide. Nigerian authorities have consistently rejected the allegations.

Endoni said the US should not host discussions on Nigeria without giving the country an opportunity to respond. He argued that refusing Nigeria’s participation denied the government a fair chance to present facts from its own perspective.

He questioned why only a few countries were invited to the event while Nigeria was deliberately left out. According to him, Nigeria reminded US officials that it is wrong to take decisions about a country in its absence and noted that the government is not ignoring crimes committed by violent groups.

He added that Nigeria and the US can only make progress in tackling insecurity if they work together in a transparent and inclusive manner. Endoni urged the US to avoid actions that could escalate tensions or strengthen unfounded claims of religious persecution.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, US Senior Advisor for African Affairs, Ambassador Patricia Mahoney, had visited the Nigerian House in New York on Monday to brief Endoni about the event. She confirmed that only three UN Member States were invited along with other participants, including a pastor from Nigeria, but said no Nigerian government official was included. She also stated that the event was private.

Endoni raised concerns that the US approach of naming and shaming could create unnecessary fear in Nigeria. NAN reported that the main reason Nigeria was excluded was due to a request from some participants who feared retaliation against themselves and their families.

Despite the controversy, Endoni said Nigeria will continue to engage with the US government on extremist violence and will pursue deeper cooperation to protect lives and property across the country.