Pastor Tunde Bakare has claimed that United States (US) President Donald Trump’s recent positioning on Nigeria is motivated less by human-rights concerns and more by Washington’s strategic interest in the country’s oil wealth, mineral resources and emerging technology sector.
Speaking during his State of the Nation Address at the Citadel Global Community Church on Sunday, the cleric said the Trump administration views Nigeria as a critical player in its foreign and economic objectives.
His comments follow Trump’s decision on 31 October to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and his subsequent claims about Christian persecution in the country, comments that prompted swift pushback from the Tinubu administration.
Bakare said he had anticipated a renewed American push into Nigeria, recalling a vision he claimed to have received shortly after Trump’s 2024 election victory.
In that vision, he said, Trump arrived in Lagos dressed in Middle Eastern attire, a symbol he interpreted as pointing to geopolitical and religious undertones tied to oil, real estate and the technology industry.
“It was clear to us that President Donald Trump was going to have a particular interest in Nigeria.
“Our oil wealth, mineral resources and role in the value chain of emerging technologies will be critical to his presidency,” he said.
He warned that such interests could carry religious implications capable of stirring unrest if mishandled, noting that the symbolism in the vision reflected the sensitivities involved.
Describing Trump as a “transactional leader,” Bakare urged the Federal Government to respond with a coherent economic strategy rather than adopt a defensive posture.
“The Nigerian government should present the United States with a mutually beneficial business proposal, one that facilitates US interests while guaranteeing our security, educational development, industrialisation and access to cutting-edge technologies,” he said.
Bakare argued that Nigeria must “negotiate from initiative, not pressure,” insisting that the country risked missing a great opportunity if it waited to be coerced into talks.
The cleric also used the address to criticise the government’s handling of insecurity, saying the escalating violence in the Middle Belt, North-West and South-East exposed deep structural fractures.
He condemned what he described as longstanding attacks on Christian communities in parts of the Middle Belt and accused the National Assembly of failing to address the crisis until it gained the attention of the US Congress.
“It is a shame that citizens had to call on a foreign government for help because their own government failed them,” he said.
He faulted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for failing to mobilise diplomatic support earlier, only to respond “with excuses when goodwill had been exhausted.”
On tensions in the South-East, including the detention and trial of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, Bakare said the unrest reflected unresolved wounds dating back to the Civil War.
He argued that President Bola Tinubu stood at a decisive moment: “The President must choose between political calculations ahead of 2027 and the tougher path of structural reforms.”
Among his proposed measures were a national apology to communities affected by insecurity, the creation of a Victims and Survivors Register, enhanced recruitment involving veterans and paramilitary forces, and technology-driven surveillance backed by international partnerships, including American military AI systems.
He further called for state, zonal and community policing structures under federal coordination.
Bakare also advocated the establishment of a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring, saying Nigeria’s instability was rooted in unresolved issues of identity, equity and governance.
“No nation can be built on denial. If we are to sit at the table of brotherhood, we must acknowledge the truth and confront it,” he said.
For long-term security reform, he recommended a restructured national intelligence system, the creation of zonal security councils chaired by governors, and the transformation of the federal police into a primarily investigative body.
He also proposed replacing the one-year National Youth Service Corps with a two-year scheme, with the first year dedicated to military training and deployment.
On foreign policy, Bakare suggested a dual approach: a Trans-Saharan strategy focused on the Middle East and the Sahel, and a Trans-Atlantic strategy anchored on cooperation with Western partners.
Bakare's reaction come as President Tinubu recently appointed National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to lead Nigeria’s delegation in a joint US-Nigeria working group on security collaboration.
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