Pastor Tunde Bakare has claimed that President Donald Trump’s decision to list Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and speak of Christian genocide is tied to a strategic push for Nigeria’s oil and other key assets. Speaking during a State of the Nation Address in Lagos, he said the Trump administration sees Nigeria’s oil wealth, mineral resources, real estate and role in emerging technologies as central to its foreign and economic agenda.
Bakare said he believed Trump’s interest in Nigeria was confirmed by a vision he had shortly after Trump’s 2024 election victory, in which the US leader arrived in Lagos dressed in traditional Arab clothing and declared, “We are here now.” He interpreted this as a sign of deep economic and geopolitical interest linked to Middle East politics, oil and gas, property and Nigeria’s growing technology ecosystem, with possible religious tensions if not carefully managed.
Describing Trump as a “transactional leader,” Bakare argued that the Federal Government should not respond with outrage alone but with a clear economic strategy. He urged Abuja to table a mutually beneficial business plan that accommodates US investment while safeguarding Nigeria’s security, education, industrialisation and access to advanced technologies.
He warned that Nigeria must seize the current window to negotiate smart strategic deals instead of waiting to be pressured into unfavourable arrangements. While he did not reveal full details of his proposed framework, he stressed that long term development depends on agreements anchored firmly on national interest.
Bakare also linked Trump’s comments to Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, saying unending attacks in the Middle Belt, North West and South East have exposed long ignored structural faults. He noted that communities across Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna and other Middle Belt states have suffered targeted killings, calling the situation a “shame on the Nigerian state.”
He criticised the National Assembly for staying largely silent until the United States Congress held a hearing on Nigerian insecurity. According to him, lawmakers have been more focused on 2027 politics, defections and personal positioning than on confronting terrorism and banditry.
Bakare also faulted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for failing to mobilise diplomatic support early enough and only reacting once Nigeria’s goodwill had weakened. He said it was embarrassing that some communities felt compelled to appeal directly to the American government because they had lost faith in their own leaders.
On the South East, he said growing tensions, including the continued detention and trial of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu, show that Nigeria has not fully healed from the Civil War era. He argued that unresolved issues around justice, identity and inclusion keep reopening old wounds and feeding fresh agitation.
Bakare said President Bola Tinubu is at a turning point where he must choose between short term political calculations and bold structural reforms. While acknowledging recent recruitment drives in the security sector and limited emergency measures, he insisted that only far reaching changes can stabilise the country.
His proposals include a national apology to victims of insecurity, backed by a Victims and Survivors Register to document attacks and guide compensation. He suggested the President should, after three months of documentation, deliver a solemn address naming affected communities and some families most brutally hit, followed by financial and social support in the medium term.
Bakare called for a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring to tackle what he termed “the Nigeria Question” — issues of identity, dignity, equity, coexistence and governance. He argued that no sustainable peace is possible without openly confronting these realities, rather than denying or downplaying them.
He urged Nigeria to move beyond piecemeal responses and embrace overdue reforms that unite the “best of the North and South” behind a new national settlement. Central to this, he said, is empowering zonal, state and community policing structures for faster response, better accountability and stronger public trust.
Bakare proposed a new security architecture built around a non political Directorate of National Intelligence, freeing the National Security Adviser to focus on strategic coordination. He also recommended creating Zonal Security Councils in each of the six geopolitical zones, chaired by governors on a rotating basis and represented in the National Security Council.
He further suggested transforming the federal police into a national investigative body focused on intelligence led operations and complex, cross border crimes. In addition, he proposed replacing the current one year National Youth Service Corps with a two year scheme, with the first year dedicated to military style training and deployment.
On foreign policy, Bakare urged Nigeria to adopt a dual track approach: a Trans Saharan line engaging the Middle East and Arabian Peninsula to help stabilise the Sahel and shape northern Nigeria’s development, and a Trans Atlantic line deepening ties with Western partners. He said this mix, combined with “tech to industry diplomacy” to attract cutting edge US military and AI systems, would better position Nigeria in a changing global order.
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