By Ode Ojowu
When the U.S. President Donald Trump recently twitted that there is “Christian genocide,” in Nigeria, the government responded swiftly—and defensively. Officials insisted that Nigeria enjoys religious harmony, that violence affects all communities, and that our problems stem from criminals, not ideology. A delegation was dispatched to Washington to refute the claim of Christian genocide.
But while Nigeria is right to protect its image, it is wrong to believe that broad denial is a winning diplomatic strategy. In an age of satellite imagery, digital archives, documented eyewitness accounts, and global reporting, there are few conflicts whose patterns of violence are hidden from the world. And Nigeria—unfortunately—is not one of them.
For over a decade, Boko Haram, ISWAP, extremist militias, and armed criminal networks have unleashed violence across our country. The victims have included Christians targeted for their faith and moderate Muslims murdered for rejecting the extremist ideology. This is the reality. And it is a reality that no number of diplomatic manoeuvrings and reassurances can erase.
The problem with Nigeria’s current approach is not that it seeks to defend the nation’s reputation. Every government should. The problem is that the government is denying what much of the world already knows—and what countless Nigerian families have personally experienced and are enduring, even as many others wait in fear. Denying patterns of targeted violence does not make Nigeria look stable; it makes the Nigerian government look evasive.
A far wiser path would be courageous honesty: acknowledging that extremist groups have indeed carried out genocidal-style attacks on Christian communities and that the same extremist forces have also massacred Muslim communities who oppose their ideology. These truths are not mutually exclusive. They coexist. And nations earn respect—not lose it—when they admit the complexity of their challenges.
The majority of Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike, live in peace with one another. That is an undeniable strength of our national identity. But history teaches a consistent lesson: societies are not destabilized by majorities who want peace; they are destabilized by small, armed minorities who use ideology and violence to tear at the fabric of society. Pretending otherwise only empowers extremists and undermines victims.
What Nigeria needs now is not defensive diplomacy but strategic diplomacy.
Imagine the difference if Nigeria says to the world: “We acknowledge that extremist groups have targeted Christians and Muslims alike. We admit that our security forces face limits in intelligence, equipment, and reach. And we invite the international community to partner with us—in good faith—to defeat the forces of terror.”
That kind of admission would not weaken Nigeria. It would strengthen it. It would restore credibility to the Nigerian government. It would show empathy for victims. It would demonstrate that Nigeria is not afraid of truth but committed to justice.
And most importantly, it would open the door to the very things Nigeria urgently needs:
Deeper intelligence sharing
Counterterrorism training and technology
Humanitarian aid for the resettlement of displaced civilians and restoration of their livelihoods
Support from global Christian and Muslim networks
Investment in community peace-building
Stronger partnerships with the U.S., EU, African Union, and UN etc
The world is far more willing to help a country that openly acknowledges its challenges than one that insists everything is under her control and management.
Nigeria is fighting one of the most complex security battles in modern African history. Our troops are stretched across more than 20 states. Our borders are porous. Arms flow in from multiple directions. Criminality mixes with ideology. Communities are traumatized. No honest government can claim that it has everything under control.
Honesty is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of maturity. If Nigeria wants greater respect from the international community, a stronger moral standing, and deeper global partnership, then it must replace denial with clarity, and deflection with truth. Acknowledging the pain of both Christian and Muslim victims is not political naïveté—it is the foundation of genuine national healing.
Nigeria has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by choosing strategic honesty.
Ode Ojowu wrote this piece from Abuja.