American rapper Nicki Minaj has said her Nigerian pastor influenced her decision to speak out about the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj made the disclosure during an X Takeover event at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, where she discussed her personal connection to Nigeria and urged more celebrities and social media influencers to raise awareness about attacks on Christians in the country.
The rapper said reports of violence against Christians, particularly in Nigeria, had deeply troubled her, questioning why the issue had not attracted greater public attention.
“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.
Minaj, who calls her fans Barbz, argued that public figures should use their platforms to draw attention to the situation.
“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.
She also expressed hope that more celebrities and influencers would join her in speaking out about the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“So right now, actually, 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.
