Nicki Minaj says her pastor is Nigerian, urges stars to speak up

American rapper Nicki Minaj says her link to Nigeria comes through her pastor, who is Nigerian. She used a stage slot at Elon Musk’s X Takeover event in Texas to ask other celebrities to speak up about attacks on Christians in the country.

She spoke on Saturday, 10 October, at Tesla’s Giga Texas plant in Austin, where the two-day fan event was organised by Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley. “My pastor is from Nigeria, so I have a link to Nigeria because of him,” she said, according to Premium Times. A clip of the moment spread across Nigerian timelines on Monday, 12 October.

It is the newest chapter in a campaign she has kept up for almost a year, and it lands in a country where the government flatly rejects the claim that Christians are being singled out.

What did Nicki Minaj say about Nigeria at X Takeover?

Minaj said reports of how Christians are treated in Nigeria pushed her to speak, and she asked why nobody was “making a big deal out of this”, according to AllHipHop and Premium Times. She told the crowd she has plenty of Nigerian fans among her Barbz, and said she wants more celebrities and influencers to join her.

She also urged Christians to vote and said elections should be part of church preaching, AllHipHop reported on Sunday, 11 October. Her main stage talk at the event covered creativity, technology and building a personal brand. Minaj had announced the appearance on her own TikTok account before the event, saying she would speak and do a meet and greet on 10 October.

How did we get here?

Minaj’s Nigeria advocacy started with a single repost and has grown into speeches on three stages in under a year. Here is the timeline from GistMatrix’s checks:

• 1 November 2025: she shared a screenshot of Donald Trump’s post from the day before, saying Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria (Pulse Nigeria).
• 31 October and 1 November 2025: Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom, then threatened military action (Premium Times).
• 18 November 2025: she spoke at a United Nations event hosted by the US mission and Ambassador Mike Waltz (AP). Earlier that month, replying to Trump’s post, she had written: “No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.”
• 23 November 2025: she posted a prayer on X for hostages taken in Nigeria and Cameroon (Pulse Nigeria).
• December 2025: at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, she told Erika Kirk her pastor is Nigerian (Pulse Nigeria).
• 10 October 2026: the X Takeover remarks at Giga Texas.

What has the Nigerian government said?

The Federal Government rejects the idea that Christians are being deliberately targeted, and says insecurity hits Nigerians of every faith. At a briefing in Abuja on 6 November 2025, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said terrorism in Nigeria “does not exclusively target any religious or ethnic group”, Arise News reported.

Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has said, in a statement delivered by his ministry’s permanent secretary, Dunoma Ahmed, that no one should be deceived that “state sponsored religious persecution exists in Nigeria”, Arise News reported. As of 11:30am WAT on Thursday, 15 October, GistMatrix had found no government reaction to the Texas remarks, and later reports by P.M. News and Premier Christian News mentioned none.

What happens next

Minaj told the Austin crowd she looks forward to doing more on the issue, but as of 11:30am WAT on Thursday, 15 October, she had not named a date, event or campaign. GistMatrix will update this story if she announces one or if the Federal Government responds.

FAQ

Is Nicki Minaj’s pastor Nigerian?
Yes, according to Minaj herself. She said at X Takeover in Austin on 10 October 2026, and earlier at AmericaFest in December 2025, that her pastor is from Nigeria. She has not named him publicly.

Where did Nicki Minaj speak about Nigeria?
At the X Takeover fan event at Tesla’s Giga Texas plant in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, 10 October 2026. She also spoke about Nigeria at a US-hosted UN event in New York on 18 November 2025.

What does the Nigerian government say about Christian genocide claims?
It rejects them. Ministers have said violence in Nigeria affects people of all faiths and that the genocide claims rest on faulty data.

Should more celebrities speak on insecurity in Nigeria? Tell us in the comments.

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