President Bola Tinubu will travel to the United States on Tuesday for high-level diplomatic talks.
The visit comes at a tense moment, with rising global debate over alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and recent strong remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Presidency insiders confirmed the trip, saying the visit is focused on security, diplomacy, and strengthening ties with Washington. “delegated his Vice, James David Vance to meet with Tinubu during the visit,” a top source disclosed, adding that only last-minute changes could alter the arrangement.
Over the past week, discussions around Nigeria-U.S. relations intensified after Trump warned of possible American military intervention.
He accused the Nigerian government of allowing attacks on Christians and vowed the U.S. would act if the situation continued.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing’…” Trump declared, making reference to what he described as ongoing atrocities.
The Presidency pushed back strongly on Saturday. Tinubu insisted Nigeria upholds religious freedom and respects all faiths, rejecting claims of targeted killings against Christians.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” the President said.
He explained that since 2023, his government has worked with both Christian and Muslim leaders to address insecurity nationwide.
Tinubu accused critics of misunderstanding Nigeria’s religious reality. “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” he noted.
According to presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala, the upcoming engagements with U.S. officials will help clear any misconceptions.
He earlier stated that “Both President @officialABAT and President @realDonaldTrump have shared interest in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity.”
Bwala also highlighted previous U.S. military support to Nigeria, noting that Tinubu is building on earlier defence cooperation arrangements.
“President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms to Nigeria and President Tinubu has adequately utilized the opportunity in the fight against terrorism…” he said.
Discussions in Washington are expected to focus heavily on counter-terrorism and religious harmony, as well as broader security collaboration.
“Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding,” Tinubu added.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that this visit will be Tinubu’s first Washington engagement since Trump issued his recent warnings.
Recall that earlier in the week, Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” a move that triggered diplomatic reactions and sparked nationwide debate on religious freedom and security in the country.