US President Donald Trump on Thursday acknowledged the presence of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, as he spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, highlighting her faith leadership and role in religious life.
The annual event, attended by members of the US Congress, religious leaders and international guests, featured Trump recognising Tinubu in the audience as he addressed attendees on matters of faith and global religious freedom.
“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 said as he looked into the crowd.
Mrs Tinubu is an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, the ministry founded by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, which is among Nigeria’s largest and most influential Pentecostal denominations.
The remarks came amid continued international attention on Nigeria’s security situation following recent claims by Trump and some US lawmakers that Christians in Nigeria face widespread violence.
In October 2025, Trump designated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged attacks on Christians — a move that drew criticism from the Nigerian government, which rejected the claims as inaccurate and harmful to national unity.
The Federal Government maintained that Nigeria’s security challenges are driven by terrorism and criminality affecting citizens of all faiths, and insisted that constitutional guarantees protect religious freedom for Muslims and Christians alike.
The tension led to a hearing of the Nigerian security situation in the US Congress and subsequently security collaboration between the two countries, culminating the formation of the US-Nigeria Working Group.
