Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu is preparing for a high-level meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump following recent accusations of widespread violence against Christians in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by by a presidential aide, Daniel Bwala, who serves as the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Communications, via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday.
He said the discussion between both leaders is expected to take place “within the next few days.”
According to Bwala, the meeting will focus on clarifying the recent controversy surrounding reports of religiously motivated killings in Nigeria, a matter that has drawn strong remarks from President Trump.
“Both leaders share a strong commitment to ending terrorism and insurgency.
”They are united in their resolve to protect innocent lives from extremist attacks,” Bwala stated.
He noted that President Trump had previously authorised arms sales to Nigeria, a move he said bolstered the country’s military capacity and yielded significant progress in counter-terrorism operations under the Tinubu administration.
“President Trump’s approval for the sale of advanced weapons helped Nigeria immensely, and President Tinubu has put those resources to effective use, achieving measurable success against terror groups,” the aide added.
Bwala hinted that the bilateral discussion could take place either at Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja or at the White House in Washington, D.C., depending on final diplomatic arrangements.
He also acknowledged differing perspectives on whether terrorist attacks in Nigeria are targeted primarily at Christians or affect people of multiple faiths.
“These differing perceptions will be addressed frankly by both presidents when they meet. Their goal is to ensure a common understanding and strengthen cooperation in combating all forms of terrorism,” Bwala explained.
The anticipated meeting comes amid growing global reaction to President Trump’s recent statements, in which he threatened possible U.S. military action in Nigeria over what he described as “genocidal killings” of Christians.
In a social media post over the weekend, Trump accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop religiously motivated violence and warned that the United States would suspend all aid to the country if the killings continued.
“If the Nigerian government refuses to act, the U.S. will move in fast — guns blazing to eliminate the terrorists responsible for these atrocities,” Trump wrote, instructing the newly renamed “Department of War” to prepare for potential intervention.
He also announced that Nigeria would be listed among nations under close U.S. monitoring for alleged violations of religious freedom.
While Trump’s comments have drawn criticism from several quarters, the Tinubu administration appears to be opting for diplomacy.
Sources within the Presidency said that Tinubu prefers direct engagement with Washington to clarify Nigeria’s position and reaffirm the country’s commitment to protecting all citizens, regardless of faith.
Analysts say the planned dialogue between the two presidents could help ease tensions and reaffirm long-standing military and economic relations between Abuja and Washington.
