Pastor Tunde Bakare, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, says the renewed attention of the Donald Trump administration on Nigeria is driven largely by strategic interests in oil, mineral resources and emerging technologies.
Speaking during a State of the Nation Address in Lagos on Sunday, Bakare said Nigeria’s natural endowments and role in future tech value chains align with what he described as the “transactional” style of the US president.
Bakare’s remarks follow America’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious freedom and Trump’s recent comments on violent attacks in Middle Belt communities.
The cleric recalled that shortly after Trump won the 2024 election, he received what he called a symbolic revelation pointing to a “particular interest” in Nigeria linked to geopolitics and the global economy.
“It was clear to us that President Donald Trump was going to have a particular interest in Nigeria. Nigeria’s oil wealth and other mineral resources will be critical to the Trump presidency, as will our role in the value chain of emerging technologies,” Bakare stated.
He warned that external pressure on Nigeria’s religious fault lines could escalate tensions if not carefully managed, adding that the federal government to respond with a clear economic strategy rather than confrontation.
“President Donald Trump has proven to be a transactional leader whose threats are usually invitations to the negotiating table,” he said.
The cleric said Nigeria’s insecurity, especially in the Middle Belt, North-West and South-East, had exposed longstanding structural issues, adding that communities under constant attack feel abandoned.
He criticised the National Assembly and foreign affairs officials for being “reactive” and prioritising politics ahead of national security.
Bakare argued that stabilising the country requires both decisive military action and reconciliation, including a victims’ register and a national apology led by President Bola Tinubu.
Other proposals he outlined include community-based policing under federal coordination, expanded use of veterans and paramilitary personnel, investment in surveillance technology and deeper security cooperation with the US.
