United States President Donald Trump has escalated his criticism of Nigeria, branding the country “a disgrace” and threatening to cut American subsidies if the Federal Government fails to curb extremist attacks on Christian communities.
Speaking during a conservative radio programme appearance on Friday, Trump renewed his threat of potential military action against Islamist militants operating in Nigeria, accusing the government of insufficient action.
“Nigeria is a disgrace. The whole thing is a disgrace. They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide, and I’m really angry about it. And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidies to Nigeria. We’re going to end up stopping,” Trump declared.
The president’s inflammatory remarks came less than 24 hours after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Following the meeting, Hegseth posted on 𝕏 that discussions centered on “the horrific violence against Christians in their country,” adding: “Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
A Pentagon statement described the talks as productive, highlighting “tangible progress” in Nigeria’s efforts to combat jihadist groups and protect vulnerable communities. However, Trump’s public comments suggest deepening frustration within the administration over the pace of Nigeria’s security response.
The American president’s characterization of violence in Nigeria as “genocide” against Christians has become increasingly common in US conservative circles, despite the fact that Nigeria has endured decades of ethnoreligious conflict affecting both Christian and Muslim communities across different regions.
Trump’s threat to suspend aid comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as Nigeria grapples with a devastating wave of terrorist attacks. On Friday, gunmen abducted 315 students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, marking one of the largest school kidnappings in recent history and intensifying international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security crisis.
The Nigerian government, through Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, had earlier blamed Trump’s October 31 declaration designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for emboldening terrorist groups to launch fresh attacks.
The escalating war of words between Washington and Abuja threatens to complicate bilateral relations between the two nations, even as Nigeria seeks international support—particularly in intelligence, technology, and equipment—to combat insurgency across its northern regions.
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