Hungary has long been the lone voice speaking up against the persecution of Christians worldwide, including in Nigeria. The Christian population of the African country has faced widespread discrimination since the late 1990s, and increasingly so since the Islamist terror organization Boko Haram emerged in 2009. According to some estimates, more than 50,000 Christians have been killed by Boko Haram between 2009 and 2023. However, with US President Donald Trump in office, persecuted Christians in Nigeria have finally received the attention they deserve in their fight to exist.
In doing so, the Trump administration has found an unexpected ally to support their cause: world-famous rapper Nicki Minaj, better known as Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty. Mrs Minaj began speaking out against the persecution of Christians in Nigeria in October 2025, when Trump announced that the African country would be designated as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC), citing its failure to protect religious minorities.
‘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 practising their religion. We don’t have to share the same beliefs in order for us to respect each other,’ Minaj wrote on X at the time.
On 1 November, Trump publicly ordered the Department of Defense to begin preparing plans for possible military action in Nigeria if the Nigerian government does not ‘stop the killing of Christians’. On 23 November, several American media outlets reported that the administration was establishing diplomatic, intelligence-sharing, and assistance programmes with Nigeria to halt the persecution, while Trump threatened to cut or suspend aid to the country.
Last week, Nicki Minaj delivered a highly emotional speech at the United Nations, urging world leaders to take immediate action to protect Christians in Nigeria, citing escalating violence and what she described as a growing assault on religious freedom. She stressed that her appeal was motivated by human rights concerns, not politics, and thanked US Ambassador to the UN Michael Waltz and Trump for prioritizing the issue.
‘Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly’
She described religious liberty as universal and argued that no one should feel unsafe because of their beliefs. Citing reports of churches burned and families displaced, she emphasized that defending Nigerian Christians is a matter of human solidarity. Minaj also highlighted the efforts of peacebuilders working to ease interfaith tensions. She concluded by telling her supporters she would continue to speak out against persecution wherever it occurs.
‘Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart, and entire communities live in fear constantly, simply because of how they pray. Sadly, this problem is not only a growing problem in Nigeria, but also in so many other countries across the world, and it demands urgent action. And I want to be clear. Protecting Christians in Nigeria is not about taking sides or dividing people. It is about uniting humanity,’ Minaj highlighted.
Watch the speech below:
Sadly, just a few days after the UN speech, reports emerged from Nigeria that gunmen abducted a total of 315 students and teachers from a Catholic boarding school. The attackers seized the students from the St Mary Catholic School in the Agwara district in the early hours of Friday. As a precaution, all schools in neighbouring states have been closed, and President Bola Tinubu cancelled his participation in the G20 summit in Johannesburg due to the crisis. Last week, unknown gunmen also raided another boarding school in Kebbi State, abducting 25 female students. In another attack, 38 people were taken from a service at the Christ Apostolic Church congregation in Kwara State, and at least two worshippers were killed.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó condemned the violent attacks, stating that freedom of religion is a fundamental and inviolable right. ‘We expect the Nigerian authorities to strengthen the protection of Christian and all other religious communities, and to take firm action against the perpetrators of these attacks,’ Szijjártó stressed. ‘We express our solidarity with the victims, their families, and all Nigerian communities targeted today because of their faith,’ he added.
‘Hungary Helps has designated Nigeria a priority location’
Szijjártó reminded that in 2017 Hungary became the first country in the world to launch a governmental programme, called Hungary Helps, dedicated to assisting persecuted Christians, through which humanitarian aid has been provided to Christian communities in Nigeria on several occasions. ‘We remain committed to delivering help where it is most needed,’ he added.
Hungary Helps has designated Nigeria a priority location, citing the convergence of violent conflict, migration pressures, and religious persecution. Since 2019, Hungary has committed significant financial support to local churches and humanitarian actors in Nigeria, including aid worth HUF 468 million. In recent years, the Hungarian mission to Nigeria has emphasized a dual approach: urgent relief and long-term community building. A five-day mission in April 2025 included visits to internally displaced camps in states such as Benue, humanitarian distribution in Boko Haram-impacted Maiduguri, and the inauguration of a nurse-training centre for 400 women in Onitsha.
Despite persistent attacks, abductions, and discrimination, the Nigerian Christian population has managed to maintain its consistency. While there were around 40–50 million Christians living in the country in the 2000s, their number has since doubled to 90–100 million, making up around 40 per cent of the population. This resilience is attributed in part to the external aid these communities receive from states and global Christian networks. Such assistance enables communities to rebuild after attacks, strengthens church leadership, and allows believers to remain rather than flee.
By speaking out against their persecution, Nicki Minaj gives Christians in Nigeria both hope and, potentially, increased contributions from her supporters and ordinary people globally. In doing so, Minaj has also broken with the tendency of Hollywood and US celebrity culture to ignore issues that do not align with the woke agenda. This is a clear impact of Donald Trump’s second presidency, as many stars, including Sidney Sweeney and Cristiano Ronaldo—who recently met Trump at the White House—now strongly back the right in the culture wars. This shift also draws attention to issues that had never broken into the mainstream until now. In its fight for Christians in Nigeria, Hungary is no longer alone.
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