Nigeria’s first lady, Remi Tinubu met with US members of Congress and Trump administration officials last week to press her case that Abuja is protecting Christians, a source familiar with the meetings told AFP on Monday.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The talks came as Remi Tinubu was in Washington for the National Prayer Breakfast, a yearly gathering of political, business and religious leaders in Washington.
Nigeria is under pressure from the United States over violence in the country that President Donald Trump has said amounts to the “persecution” of Christians — a framing long used by the US religious and political right wing.
Trump called Tinubu “a very respected woman” during his address to the gathering Thursday.
The first lady, a Christian pastor married to Muslim President Bola Tinubu, met with US lawmakers from both parties on Nigeria’s security situation, the source said.
Abuja and independent analysts reject Washington’s framing of the complex, overlapping security crises in the country, noting that armed groups kill both Muslims and Christians, often without distinction.
Nigeria is battling a long-running jihadist insurgency concentrated in its northeast, while non-ideological “bandit” gangs conduct kidnappings for ransom, loot villages and impose taxes on farmers and miners in the northwest.
Across the center of the country, violence erupts among mostly Christian farmers and Muslim Fulani herders — though researchers say the main cause is access to dwindling land and resources.
Nigeria appears to have weathered the worst of Trump’s ire and come out on the other side with increased security cooperation with Washington.
A US strike in December targeted jihadist militants in a joint American-Nigerian operation, officials from both countries said.
The US military has said it will supply intelligence for Nigerian air strikes and work to expedite arms purchases.
Diplomatic tensions remain, however. Speaking at a US-Nigeria security meeting in Abuja last month, a top State Department official said Nigeria “must do more to protect Christians” in a speech that did not mention Muslim victims of violence.
Speaking to The Hill, a US political outlet, Remi Tinubu said she was in Washington to “build relationships.”
She added that she saw a “divine intervention” in Trump’s focus on Christians in Nigeria, even if it has ruffled feathers diplomatically.
“Divine in the sense that, who would have even noticed Nigeria?” Tinubu said. “Or to really understand what we are grappling with and trying to build the country?”
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu says Nigeria is earning global recognition for its efforts to tackle insecurity and revive its economy, despite ongoing domestic challenges.
Her remarks came during a Fox News appearance while on a visit to the United States.
The comments follow personal acknowledgment from U.S. President Donald Trump at the 74th U.S. National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.
She described the honor as “unexpected but encouraging.”
Asked about threats of further US strikes in Nigeria, Remi Tinubu said Nigeria is working with the US government to address security concerns.
She welcomed America’s involvement in the security situation in Nigeria, calling it “a blessing.”
“Who would have thought that President Trump would recognize me?” she said.
“I am getting global recognition on all of this, and that is what life is all about. If something is going to be good, it starts from the rubbles.
“Now we have all the attention and conversation going, and we are expecting it to yield better fruit for both the U.S. and Nigeria”, the first lady noted.
On claims of Christian genocide, she said the government has been able to educate the U.S. about the situation on the ground.
“We live in Nigeria, and we know this is a democracy. We are getting close to elections, and there are always narratives shaped to influence what the outside world believes,” she said.
She stressed the government inherited a difficult economic situation.
“This is the first time a Nigerian government is removing fuel subsidy. We were producing oil but not refining. Now Nigeria has refined products and is no longer importing fuel as before. Our exchange rates are stabilizing, the country is moving forward, and we are tackling insecurity”, she stated.
She added that President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency to address security concerns arising from the trending Christian genocide narrative.
“We hear what the world is saying, and we are concerned about our people’s safety. Nigeria encourages freedom of religion, which is entrenched in our constitution. We are making sure investors coming to Nigeria see a country that is stable. Our economic growth is rising steadily,” she said.
Remi Tinubu emphasized that the administration is focused on solutions rather than assigning blame.
“We are not ready to blame past administrations. When Nigeria was in the age of boom, we didn’t invest well. Now we have to partner with countries who mean well for Nigeria and can help us deal with our insecurity situation,” she noted.
Reimagine your practice with the power of AI “...this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic.” — Ohio Books Ltd
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe, Esq., ACIArb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director, Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
Bonus:
Get a FREE eBook titled “How to Use the AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion” with every purchase.
How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access directly online at: https://selar.com/prv626
_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
_______________________________________________________________________
