US President Donald Trump, on Thursday, acknowledged Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, during his address at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, emphasizing her leadership in faith and her significant role in religious affairs.
The annual gathering, attended by members of the US Congress, religious leaders, and international dignitaries, saw Trump highlighting Tinubu in the audience while discussing faith and global religious liberty.
“We’re honoured to be joined today by the First Lady of Nigeria, who also happens to serve as a Christian pastor at the largest church in Nigeria. A very respected woman. First Lady, please, where are you? Thank you very much. It’s a great honour. Thank you very much. Very respected person, too. Thank you,” Trump remarked as he scanned the crowd.
Mrs. Tinubu is an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of Nigeria’s largest and most influential Pentecostal denominations.
These remarks come amidst ongoing international scrutiny regarding Nigeria’s security challenges, following Trump and several US lawmakers’ assertions that Christians in Nigeria are subjected to widespread violence.
In late 2025, Trump labeled Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” due to alleged attacks on Christians, a designation that faced backlash from the Nigerian government, which dismissed the claims as inaccurate and detrimental to national unity.
The Federal Government contended that Nigeria’s security issues stem from terrorism and criminality affecting individuals of all faiths, asserting that constitutional protections uphold religious freedom for both Muslims and Christians.
