Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump “once the situation is right for him,” as Abuja continues diplomatic engagement following Washington’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Idris made the comment on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed the heightened tension between both governments.
“We believe that he will go [to the U.S.] once the situation is right for him to go. But he has been to America. I was with him at the UN when he took office,” Idris said.
Ties between the two countries tightened after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a CPC over what he called the “mass slaughter of Christians.” The situation escalated days later when Trump issued a fiery warning, threatening possible U.S. military action if Nigerian authorities fail to curb the violence.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote that if the killings continue, the U.S. would halt all aid and could “go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet,” he added.
The statement drew global attention and immediate reactions from Abuja. President Tinubu dismissed allegations of state-tolerated religious persecution, insisting Nigeria “is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”
In response to the growing diplomatic rift, a high-level Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu is currently in the United States for consultations. Ribadu was received by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as discussions continue over security cooperation and the CPC controversy.
Idris stressed that despite current challenges, the Federal Government is taking concrete steps to tackle insecurity nationwide.
The U.S. Congress on Thursday held a public hearing on Trump’s CPC redesignation, further spotlighting Nigeria’s deteriorating security conditions.
Nigeria continues to battle terrorism, banditry, and widespread kidnapping. This week alone, gunmen abducted students in Kebbi and Niger states, intensifying pressure on security forces.
