Bakare Says Trump’s Renewed Focus on Nigeria Driven by Oil, Minerals, Tech Interests

Bakare Says Trump’s Renewed Focus on Nigeria Driven by Oil, Minerals, Tech Interests

Pastor Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, has said that the Donald Trump administration’s increasing focus on Nigeria is largely motivated by strategic interests in the country’s oil, mineral resources, and role in emerging technologies.

Delivering a State of the Nation Address in Lagos on Sunday, Bakare described President Donald Trump as a “transactional leader” whose foreign policy is shaped by economic and geopolitical calculations. He noted that Nigeria’s natural wealth and position in future global tech value chains align squarely with America’s strategic priorities.

His comments come after the US redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom issues, alongside Trump’s recent remarks on violent attacks in parts of the Middle Belt.

Bakare recalled that shortly after Trump’s 2024 election victory, he received what he termed a symbolic revelation indicating a heightened US interest in Nigeria’s geopolitical value. According to him, the nation’s oil reserves, mineral deposits and tech potential would be “critical to the Trump presidency.”

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Warning of rising external pressure on Nigeria’s internal religious and ethnic divides, Bakare urged the federal government to adopt a proactive economic strategy rather than confrontational diplomacy.

“President Donald Trump has proven to be a transactional leader whose threats are usually invitations to the negotiating table,” he said.

Bakare criticised the National Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for being “reactive,” arguing that politics has been placed above national security. He stressed that ongoing insecurity across the Middle Belt, North-West, and South-East reflects deep-rooted structural problems, with many communities feeling abandoned.

To stabilise the country, Bakare recommended decisive military operations combined with reconciliation efforts — including a national victims’ register and an official apology led by President Bola Tinubu.

He further suggested reforms such as community policing under federal oversight, deployment of veterans and paramilitary personnel, investment in surveillance technologies, and strengthened security cooperation with the United States.

Bakare Says Trump’s Renewed Focus on Nigeria Driven by Oil, Minerals, Tech Interests