Nigeria has expressed displeasure over the United States’ decision to hold a high-profile discussion at the United Nations on alleged religious killings in Nigeria without inviting the Nigerian delegation.
The Chargé d’Affaires of Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Syndoph Endoni, said on Tuesday that shutting Nigeria out of the event — which featured rapper Nicki Minaj and was organised alongside the U.S. Mission to the UN — amounted to “shaving our head in our absence.”
The meeting at the UN headquarters in New York focused on allegations by U.S. authorities that Christians in Nigeria are targets of systematic attacks. Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” claiming there was an ongoing “Christian genocide” in the country.
Nigeria has strongly rejected those claims, insisting that violence affecting communities across the North is driven by criminality, not religious persecution.
Endoni criticised the U.S. for sidelining the country most directly affected by the accusations, stressing that Nigeria should have been present to provide necessary context.
“It is important to ensure the country concerned in the ongoing allegations of genocide against Christians is present, aware and has a voice in the matter,” he said. “You should not make important decisions or take action on something that involves a country without their presence or consent.”
The Nigerian envoy said Washington’s decision denied Abuja the opportunity to “tell its own side of the story,” questioning why a few other nations were allowed to participate while Nigeria was excluded.
“We asked the U.S. authorities if it was okay to continue to shave someone’s hair in his absence,” he added.
Endoni reiterated that Nigeria is not passive in confronting insecurity and insisted that lasting solutions require collaboration, not unilateral judgement.
He urged the U.S. to adopt a more inclusive approach to avoid worsening tensions over claims of religious persecution, saying both countries “can only address the insecurity challenges if they work together.”
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