Pastor Adefarasin questions U.S motives behind Christian rights concerns in Nigeria

Pastor Adefarasin questions U.S motives behind Christian rights concerns in Nigeria

Senior Pastor of Guiding Light Assembly (GLA), Lagos, Wale Adefarasin, has cast doubt on the sincerity of the United States’ recent expressions of concern for Christians in Nigeria, suggesting that economic interests may be driving the narrative rather than genuine human rights advocacy.

In a sermon delivered on Sunday and widely circulated online by Monday, Adefarasin addressed his congregation on the longstanding issue of religious violence in northern Nigeria. He argued that while attacks on Christians have occurred over the decades, they do not constitute genocide as some Western portrayals suggest.

“For 40 years that I have been a Christian, there have been killings in southern Kaduna, killings on the Plateau, there have been riots,” he said. “It’s nothing new. It doesn’t amount to genocide. The way the West are talking about it, it’s as if if a Christian steps on the street, his head will be blown off.”

Adefarasin’s remarks were a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious freedom violations. Trump also warned that the U.S. could deploy military forces to protect Christians if the Nigerian government fails to act.

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The pastor questioned the timing and intent behind America’s renewed focus on Nigeria’s religious landscape, hinting at strategic interests linked to the country’s evolving economic profile.

“I’m trying to understand this sudden love for Christians,” Adefarasin said. “Is it because we now have one of the largest refineries in the world, and no longer have to ship raw materials abroad and bring the finished products? Or is it because of the 21st-century minerals that we now have in our earth, that are used to generate nuclear power for electric vehicles?”

He suggested that Nigeria’s growing self-sufficiency and its deposits of critical minerals may be influencing foreign policy decisions masked as humanitarian concern.

The Federal Government has firmly rejected President Trump’s assertions. President Bola Tinubu reiterated that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees religious freedom and that national policy is committed to fostering interfaith harmony.

As diplomatic tensions simmer, voices like Adefarasin’s add nuance to the debate, urging Nigerians to critically assess the motivations behind international interventions.

Pastor Adefarasin questions U.S motives behind Christian rights concerns in Nigeria