President Bola Tinubu has dismissed recent claims describing Nigeria as hostile to religious freedom, saying such assertions do not reflect the country’s reality.
Tinubu’s response followed comments by United States President Donald Trump, who had designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged persecution of Christians. Trump claimed that Christian communities in Nigeria face widespread attacks from extremist groups.
Writing on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and urged U.S. lawmakers to investigate the situation, warning that “urgent action” was needed to prevent further violence.
However, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, President Tinubu said Nigeria remains committed to upholding the rights of all citizens to practise their religion freely.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu wrote.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges that affect citizens across faiths and regions.”
He stressed that the country’s religious diversity continues to serve as a source of unity rather than division.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” he said.
“It does not take into consideration the sincere and ongoing efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and belief for all Nigerians.”
Tinubu insisted that Nigeria does not support or condone persecution of any religious group.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have always been central to our identity as a people,” he added.
“Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.”
The President further stated that his administration remains open to cooperation with international partners, including the United States, to protect vulnerable communities.
“Our administration is committed to working with the U.S. government and the international community to deepen understanding and strengthen collaborative efforts to protect communities of all faiths,” Tinubu said.
