The federal government Monday raised the alarm that Nigeria faces existential reputational threats from foreign actors who seek to distort facts and weaken national unity.
It, therefore, urged communication professionals to deploy truth-based public relations as a strategic tool to counter the false narrative of a so-called genocide against Nigeria’s Christian community by certain external influence.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris gave the charge in Abuja at the national unveiling of the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF Abuja 2026), organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The theme is “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World” is not just timely, but essential”.
…The claim
A US lawmaker, Senator Ted Cruz, recently introduced a bill aimed to sanction the Nigerian government for allegedly supporting terrorism targeted at eliminating the country’s Christian population.
His bill, titled “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025,” seeks a US sanction on the country.
According to him, the extremist groups were moving from house to house, hunting down Christians for decades, killing wives, children, and Catholic priests in an attempt to rid the country of Christians.
Cruz, a Republican, also accused the Nigerian government of facilitating this anti-Christian crusade.
Similarly, in an episode of his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast, the Texas senator said his legislation would put real consequences on the Nigerian government for facilitating the “persecution of Christians.”
Also, some top American politicians and political commentators expressed similar views.
One of them is a member of the US House of Representatives, Riley Moore, who alleged Nigeria as the deadliest country in the world for Christians.
…FG counters
Countering the positions, however, the federal government said Cruz and his likes, got it wrong.
In a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, the minister warned that Nigeria faces existential reputational threats from foreign actors who seek to distort facts and weaken national unity.
He said: “We must come to terms with existential reputational threats to our national brand, in which external purveyors of untruth are mischaracterizing our nation as a destination for a so-called persecution of people based on their religious faiths.
This is propaganda externally woven by those who want to weaken our unity. For the umpteenth time, I am emphatic that there’s no iota of truth in the claim of ‘Christian Genocide’ in Nigeria.”
The minister emphasised that “such disinformation campaigns are designed to sow division and must be met with a coordinated communication response anchored on facts, integrity, and professional ethics.
“I therefore urge us to use the instruments of public relations, crafted in truths and facts, to vehemently reject these despicable single narratives about Nigeria.”
Idris stressed that “responsible communication is now a national duty in the digital era where the speed of information has surpassed the speed of reflection.”
He observed that “words now travel faster than thought, and opinions often outrun truth,” underscoring the need for communicators to be guided by truth, empathy, and service to the public good.
The statement linked this moral imperative to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that: “The Renewed Hope vision seeks to rebuild trust between government and the people—trust anchored on openness, engagement, and shared purpose. Communication is the lifeblood of that trust.”
As host of the forthcoming World Public Relations Forum 2026, Nigeria, he said, is taking its rightful place as a leader in global communication ethics.
“Today’s gathering is a bold statement—that under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria is stepping forward as the Biggest, Brightest, and Boldest voice for ethical and responsible communication in Africa and beyond,” he said.
…‘WPRF in shaping narratives for peace’
Idris assured Nigerians that the WPRF will prove that the country is a responsible global partner in shaping narratives for peace, prosperity, and shared progress.
He further assured that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is fully aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda to restore confidence, rebuild values, and reconnect the people to their government through clarity, transparency, and hope-driven communication.
Idris said “our digital and interconnected age, the speed of information has surpassed the speed of reflection. Words now travel faster than thought, and opinions often outrun truth.”
He said: “Our democracy thrives on dialogue, and under President Tinubu’s administration, communication is being repositioned as a tool for unity, accountability, and nation-building.
“I commend the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), ably led by Dr. Ike Neliaku, for successfully directing global attention to Nigeria by securing the hosting rights for this prestigious event.”
…NIPR boss speaks
Also speaking, President NIPR and member Global Alliance Board, Dr. Ike Neliaku, explained that the WPRF 2026 will hold on November 2026, and receive people from over 126 countries coming to Nigeria to discuss responsible communication.
He said the “national unveiling is important because we will have the opportunity to showcase Nigeria to the global community in a manner that has not been done before.
“We are doing today is to tell the whole nation officially that we now have this right to celebrate Nigeria at the highest level and as we do this today, it now flags off the official campaigns promotions in marketing.”
