Nigeria on Tuesday protested its exclusion from a United Nations event featuring U.S. rapper Nicki Minaj, which focused on alleged killings of Nigerians of a particular religious group.
Syndoph Endoni, the Chargé d’Affaires at Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said shutting Nigeria out of a discussion that directly concerned it was akin to “shaving our head in our absence”. The event was held at the UN headquarters in New York in partnership with the U.S. Mission to the UN.
The session followed ongoing accusations by the U.S. of Christian persecution in Nigeria. U.S. President Donald Trump had recently designated Nigeria as “a Country of Particular Concern” over alleged Christian genocide.
Endoni dismissed the allegations, stating that Nigeria has consistently rejected claims of genocide. He stressed that Nigeria should have been present to respond to the accusations directly, noting that decisions affecting a country must not be taken without its knowledge or participation.
He expressed frustration that only a few countries were allowed to attend, while Nigeria — the nation at the centre of the allegations — was excluded.
According to him, Nigeria questioned the U.S. on the logic behind making decisions “on someone’s hair while they are absent”, adding that the government was actively tackling violent crimes and was not ignoring the situation.
He emphasised that Nigeria and the U.S. could resolve security challenges more effectively by working together. Endoni appealed for inclusive dialogue to prevent unnecessary escalation over claims of Christian persecution.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that U.S. Senior Advisor for African Affairs, Amb. Patricia Mahoney visited Nigeria House in New York on Monday to brief Endoni about the event.
She explained that three UN member states were invited, along with other individuals, including a Nigerian pastor, but no Nigerian government representative. She added that the event was a private gathering.
Nigeria, however, raised concerns that such actions amounted to “naming and shaming”, warning that this could create fear and tension within the country.
NAN also reported that Nigeria was excluded because participants specifically requested that no Nigerian officials be present, allegedly due to fears of retribution against them or their families.
Despite this, Endoni said Nigeria would continue engaging U.S. officials on extremist violence and maintain collaboration aimed at protecting lives and property.
