American rapper Nicki Minaj has praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his decision to once again designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over ongoing violations of religious freedom.
The designation, announced by Trump on Friday, followed reports of what he described as a “Christian genocide” in the country. The president attributed the violence to radical Islamist groups allegedly responsible for the “mass slaughter” of Christians.
Trump said he would instruct the House Appropriations Committee to launch an immediate investigation into the situation.
Reacting to the announcement via her X (formerly Twitter) account, Minaj expressed gratitude for living in a nation where freedom of worship is protected, while urging global awareness of rising religious persecution.
“Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God. No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other,” she wrote.
She continued: “Numerous countries all around the world are being affected by this horror & it’s dangerous to pretend we don’t notice. Thank you to the President & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian. Let’s remember to lift them up in prayer.”
A country of particular concern (CPC) is a designation used by the U.S. government to identify nations that demonstrate systematic and ongoing violations of religious freedom. The classification is made by the Secretary of State under the president’s authority.
Nigeria was first listed as a CPC in 2020 during Trump’s first term, but was later removed from the list under President Joe Biden’s administration.
