Real Reasons Trump Is Attacking Nigeria — Prof. Olurode
A retired Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos, Lai Olurode, has said that the recent threat by United States President Donald Trump to launch military action against Nigeria is not motivated by any genuine concern for religious freedom, but by racial, economic, and political interests.
Professor Olurode, a former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at UNILAG, stated this in reaction to Trump’s latest remarks in which he accused the Nigerian government of failing to stop what he described as “the genocide of Christians.”
Trump had earlier designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under U.S. religious freedom laws a move that has sparked diplomatic tension between Washington and Abuja.
In an interview on Friday, Olurode dismissed Trump’s claims as “politically opportunistic and deeply hypocritical,” arguing that the U.S. president was using Nigeria to reinforce racial and ideological narratives that appeal to his conservative base.
“Trump’s attacks on Nigeria have little to do with religion and everything to do with politics, race, and economic competition,” the sociologist said.
It’s part of a broader pattern of portraying African nations as unstable or incapable of managing their affairs, in order to justify intervention or dominance.”
He added that the framing of Nigeria as a “persecutor of Christians” was both misleading and dangerous, warning that it could inflame religious tensions in a country already grappling with insecurity.
“The claim that Christians are being systematically killed with state backing is false,” Olurode said. “The reality is that terrorism and banditry in Nigeria have affected both Christians and Muslims alike. These are criminal and extremist acts, not government-sponsored campaigns.”
The professor further argued that the U.S. often uses human rights and religious freedom as tools of foreign policy to exert influence on developing countries, especially those with growing economic and strategic potential.
“Nigeria is too big and too influential to be bullied. The U.S. knows this, which is why it often resorts to propaganda and pressure tactics. Trump’s so-called concern for Nigerian Christians is a cover for geopolitical maneuvering,” he said.
The Nigerian government has already dismissed Trump’s remarks as baseless and provocative, reaffirming its commitment to protecting all citizens regardless of faith.
Officials in Abuja have also stressed that the government’s counterterrorism efforts are directed at violent extremists, not any particular religious or ethnic group.
Olurode urged Nigerian leaders to respond with diplomatic firmness, not hostility, emphasizing that the country should continue engaging international partners constructively while defending its sovereignty.
“Nigeria must not be intimidated into accepting false narratives. We need to project our own story to the world that our people, regardless of religion, are victims of the same violence and deserve the same protection,” he said.
The controversy comes amid growing global concern about the rhetoric surrounding U.S. foreign policy under Trump’s second administration, which analysts say has become increasingly confrontational toward African nations seen as aligning more closely with China and Russia.
