The Federal Government on Monday announced that the recent diplomatic tensions with the United States, sparked by President Donald Trump’s warnings of military intervention over the purported targeting of Christians in Nigeria, “has been largely resolved.”
“The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved through a firm, respectful engagement culminating in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria,” Information Minister Mohammed Idris stated at a year-end news conference in Abuja.
Trump had issued the threats in October and November, claiming that Nigerian Christians were facing an “existential threat” tantamount to “genocide” amid the country’s ongoing armed conflicts.
While some welcomed the US intervention, others argued that it risked stoking religious tensions in Africa’s most populous nation, which has a history of sectarian violence.
Both Nigeria’s government and independent analysts have rejected describing the country’s security challenges in terms of religious persecution, a narrative often promoted by the Christian right in the United States and Europe, as well as by Nigerian separatist groups lobbying in Washington.
Idris made his remarks after Nigeria recently hosted a US congressional delegation.
Despite the easing of tensions, Nigeria remains on Washington’s list of countries of “particular concern” for alleged violations of religious freedom. Last week, the Trump administration also imposed visa and immigration restrictions affecting Nigeria.
However, analysts have noted signs of growing security cooperation, including an increase in US reconnaissance flights over forested regions known to harbour jihadist groups.
The country’s multiple conflicts are complex and have claimed lives across religious lines. In the northeast, Nigeria is battling a long-running jihadist insurgency, while in the northwest, armed “bandit” gangs are responsible for village raids and kidnappings for ransom.
In central Nigeria, clashes often erupt between predominantly Muslim herders and mostly Christian farmers, though experts attribute this violence primarily to land and resource disputes rather than religious differences.
Idris also defended a recent US aid package worth $2.1 billion, which the State Department noted places “a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based health care providers.”
“Every Nigerian is going to be a beneficiary of this arrangement,” Idris affirmed.
