Daniel Bwala, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, has reassured Nigerians that President Tinubu and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, will soon clear up any confusion surrounding recent accusations of genocide in Nigeria. This statement was made in an interview excerpt with the BBC, which Bwala shared on his verified X account on Sunday.
Bwala’s remarks come amid a growing diplomatic row following President Trump’s claims that the Nigerian government has been neglecting the alleged persecution of Christians. In response, Trump’s administration had redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over these allegations.
“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding of President Donald Trump’s recent remarks,” Bwala stated. He expressed confidence that once the two leaders meet, they would have the chance to clarify any misunderstandings surrounding the matter. “There is no genocide taking place in Nigeria; what we have are serious security challenges affecting all Nigerians, including Christians.”
Bwala further noted that during Trump’s first term, the United States had supported Nigeria’s efforts against terrorism by facilitating the sale of arms to help combat insurgency.
“During President Trump’s first administration, his executive action enabled the sale of arms to Nigeria to strengthen our fight against insurgency,” Bwala emphasized.
Addressing concerns about potential foreign military involvement, Bwala made it clear that while Nigeria values international support in addressing security challenges, it insists that any intervention must respect the nation’s sovereignty. “Nigeria remains a sovereign nation, and while collaboration with international partners is welcome, any intervention must be in line with our sovereignty,” he said.
Bwala also stressed that any unilateral action by the U.S. without Nigeria’s consent would be diplomatically inappropriate.
“Foreign intervention, without proper engagement and consent from the Nigerian government, is not acceptable,” he added.
This statement follows Bwala’s previous announcement that President Tinubu would meet with President Trump in the coming days to discuss these allegations, which have attracted international attention due to the U.S. president’s controversial remarks.
