American rapper Nicki Minaj has said her Nigerian pastor played a key role in motivating her to speak publicly about reports of Christians facing persecution in Nigeria.
The rapper made the disclosure during an X Takeover event at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility in Austin, Texas, where she discussed her personal connection to Nigeria and called on celebrities and influencers to draw attention to violence against Christians in the country.
Minaj said her relationship with Nigeria through her pastor, alongside her Nigerian fans, made reports of attacks on Christians particularly concerning to her.
“For Nigeria personally, my pastor is from Nigeria, so I have a link to Nigeria because of him. And of course, I have a lot of Nigerian barbs, but what I started seeing was the brutality with which Christians are being treated there just for being Christian,” she said.
The rapper questioned why the issue had not received more public attention, suggesting that people sometimes avoid speaking about subjects they consider unpopular.
“And I thought, why isn’t anyone making a big deal out of this, you know? And sometimes when things aren’t cool to talk about, people don’t talk about it,” she added.
Minaj also expressed hope that more high-profile personalities would use their platforms to raise awareness about the situation facing Christians in Nigeria.
“So right now I’m hoping that more celebrities or people, influencers, I’m hoping that they come aboard the train to start speaking out about what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria. And I look forward to doing more to help in that way, in that cause,” she said.
