New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has criticised the United States’ approach to Nigeria, arguing that American cuts to humanitarian aid under President Donald Trump have done more harm to vulnerable Nigerian Christians than extremist groups have.
In his recent piece, Kristof challenged claims that Christians in Nigeria are facing a genocide, pointing out that many top government officials (including the First Lady) are themselves Christians. He stressed that while Nigeria faces serious violence, the scale of deaths is far lower than in crisis zones such as Sudan.
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Kristof urged Trump to redirect his attention toward countries like the United Arab Emirates, which he says has backed militias accused of brutal attacks in Sudan. He accused Trump of showing selective concern, noting that genuine commitment to religious freedom should include defending other persecuted groups, such as the Rohingya in Myanmar and Uyghurs in China.
Citing scholar Bart Ehrman’s upcoming book Love Thy Stranger, Kristof reminded readers that the core of Christian teaching is compassion for all people, not just those within one’s circle.
He also revealed that although the U.S. military had drawn up several intervention plans for Nigeria, none were seen as workable. Instead, he argued that the most damaging blow to Nigerian Christians came from the sharp reduction in US aid.
Before the cuts, American support helped save about 270,000 Nigerian lives each year through vaccines, HIV treatment, and food programmes. Kristof warned that the loss of this assistance may have cost more lives than extremist attacks ever did.
