Nicki Minaj is set to work with the White House on an effort to highlight claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
The rapper is scheduled to speak at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, according to a Time journalist who first reported the plan on Sunday.
The journalist said the appearance was arranged by Alex Bruesewitz, an adviser to President Donald Trump.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Michael Waltz confirmed the plan in response to the post, calling Minaj "not only arguably the greatest female recording artist, but also a principled individual who refuses to remain silent in the face of injustice."
"I'm grateful she's leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the president and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters," Waltz said.
Minaj later acknowledged the collaboration.
"Ambassador, I am so grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude," she wrote on X.
"I do not take it for granted. It means more than you know."
She added that her fan community, the Barbz, would support the effort.
"The Barbz & I will never stand down in the face of injustice," she wrote.
"We've been given our influence by God. There must be a bigger purpose."
The announcement comes days after Minaj publicly backed a Truth Social post from Trump criticizing what he described as the Nigerian government's failure to stop attacks on Christians.
His remarks followed weeks of pressure from conservative Christian groups urging him to label Nigeria a "country of particular concern" over alleged religious persecution.
Minaj in response to Trump's comments wrote on X, "Reading this made me feel a deep sense of gratitude. We live in a country where we can freely worship God …"
"Thank you to the president & his team for taking this seriously. God bless every persecuted Christian."
Trump has also threatened possible U.S. military action in Nigeria, saying he would send American troops "guns-a-blazing" to what he called a "disgraced country."
He added that if the U.S. intervened, "it will be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians."
Nigeria's president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, rejected Trump's comments, saying the nation "is a democracy with constitutional guarantees of religious liberty," according to The Guardian.
Nigeria is officially secular and closely divided between Muslims (53%) and Christians (45%).
While attacks on Christians have drawn widespread concern, analysts say the violence often involves other factors, including ethnic tensions and disputes over land and water.
Kidnappings of priests and pastors have increased, with some experts noting that criminals view religious leaders as likely to generate quick ransom payments, suggesting financial motives rather than purely religious ones.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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