ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala says he is confident that President Tinubu and his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, will have the opportunity to clarify misunderstandings surrounding recent allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria when they meet in the coming days.
Bwala made this known in an excerpt of his interview with the BBC, which he shared via his verified X account on Sunday.
His comment comes amid growing controversy over President Trump’s remarks accusing the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to the alleged killing of Christians in the country.
As a result of the remarks, the U.S. President redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) a label given to nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding of President Donald Trump’s recent remarks,” Bwala said.
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“When the leaders eventually meet, I am confident they will have the opportunity to clarify these issues. There is no genocide taking place in Nigeria; rather, the nation faces serious security challenges that have affected people across all faiths, including Christians.”
He noted that during Trump’s first administration, the United States had supported Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts by approving the sale of arms to bolster the country’s fight against insurgency.
“During President Trump’s first administration, his executive action facilitated the sale of arms to Nigeria to strengthen our fight against insurgency,” Bwala added.
The presidential aide stressed that while Nigeria values its international partnerships in combating insecurity, any foreign involvement must fully respect the nation’s sovereignty.
“Nigeria remains a sovereign nation, and while collaboration with international partners in addressing insecurity is welcome, any form of intervention must respect our sovereignty,” he stated.
“It would not be diplomatically appropriate for the United States to take unilateral action without engagement and consent from the Nigerian government.”
Bwala’s clarification follows his earlier announcement that President Tinubu and President Trump would meet to discuss the genocide allegations, which have drawn significant international attention after the United States redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution.