Nicki Minaj, the Trinidadian-American rapper, says her Nigerian pastor influenced her decision to speak out for Christians in Nigeria.
She also cited reports of violence against Christians as a reason for her advocacy.
Speaking at the X Takeover event at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility in Austin, Texas, Minaj said the reports deeply troubled her.
“For Nigeria personally, my pastor is from Nigeria, so I have a link to Nigeria because of him. And of course, I have a lot of Nigerian barbs, but what I started seeing was the brutality with which Christians are being treated there just for being Christian,” she said.
Minaj questioned why the issue had not received more attention. She said people sometimes avoid topics they consider unpopular.
“And I thought, why isn’t anyone making a big deal out of this, you know? And sometimes when things aren’t cool to talk about, people don’t talk about it.
“Right now, actually, I’m hoping that more celebrities or people, influencers, I’m hoping that they come aboard the train to start speaking out about what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria. And I look forward to doing more to help in that way, in that cause.”
The rapper urged more celebrities and influencers to join the cause. She also pledged to do more to support it.
In December 2025, Minaj cited her personal ties to Nigeria and her commitment to religious freedom as reasons for speaking out.
She has also used social media to highlight what she described as the “targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria”.
Minaj alleged that Christians in the country were “being targeted, driven from their homes and killed”.
Her latest comments renew her call for public figures to speak out about the reported violence.
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