Nicki Minaj has revealed that her Nigerian pastor gave her a personal connection to the country and helped inspire her campaign highlighting violence against Christian communities.
The American rapper discussed her motivation during an X Takeover event at Tesla’s Giga Texas factory in Austin, where she called on other celebrities and influencers to speak publicly about the issue.
“My pastor is from Nigeria”
Minaj said her relationship with her pastor, Nigerian author Peters Adonu, had strengthened her interest in the country.
“For Nigeria personally, my pastor is from Nigeria, so I have a link to Nigeria because of him,” she said. “And of course, I have a lot of Nigerian Barbz.”
The 43-year-old said she became increasingly troubled after encountering reports describing attacks on Christians in parts of Nigeria.
“What I started seeing was the brutality with which Christians are being treated there just for being Christian,” Minaj said.
Her comments reflected her belief that people should be able to practise their religion without fearing violence or persecution.
Minaj questions celebrity silence
The “Super Bass” rapper questioned why more prominent public figures were not drawing attention to the reported attacks.
“I thought, why isn’t anyone making a big deal out of this?” she said. “Sometimes when things aren’t cool to talk about, people don’t talk about it.”
Minaj suggested that celebrities and influencers can be reluctant to address difficult or politically sensitive subjects unless they are already attracting widespread attention.
She encouraged other influential figures to use their platforms to promote religious freedom and draw attention to the experiences of Nigerian Christians.
“I’m hoping that more celebrities or people, influencers, come aboard the train to start speaking out about what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria,” she said.
“I look forward to doing more to help in that way, in that cause.”
Previous United Nations appearance
Minaj previously addressed the subject during an event at the United States mission to the United Nations in November 2025.
During that appearance, she called on world leaders to help protect people facing violence because of their religious beliefs. She also stressed that defending Christians should not be interpreted as taking sides against people of other faiths.
Nigeria has experienced years of violence involving jihadist groups, armed gangs and communal conflicts. Christians have been targeted in numerous attacks, although Muslims and other communities have also suffered extensively.
The Nigerian government has rejected claims that it permits or supports systematic persecution of Christians, maintaining that the country’s security crisis affects citizens across religious lines.
Minaj, however, has promised to continue using her international platform to advocate for religious freedom and greater protection for vulnerable Christian communities.
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