Nigerian leaders honoured abroad but attacked at home — Remi Tinubu

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has said many Nigerian leaders are widely respected and honoured internationally but are frequently criticised, abused and undervalued by citizens at home, a situation she attributed to hate-fuelled narratives and political manipulation.

Mrs Tinubu made the remarks in a Facebook post on Friday, days after US President Donald Trump publicly described her as a “very respected woman” during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC.

The annual event, attended by members of the US Congress, religious leaders and international guests, saw Trump acknowledge the Nigerian First Lady while speaking on faith, leadership and global religious freedom. He praised her role as Nigeria’s First Lady and as an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the country’s largest Pentecostal denominations.

“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,” Trump said. “A very respected woman… It’s a great honour.”

Reacting to the recognition, Mrs Tinubu lamented what she described as a growing gap between the respect Nigerian leaders receive abroad and the hostility they face at home. She said many Nigerians have been influenced by persistent negative narratives driven by political interests, resulting in intolerance and public disdain for leaders.

“Most of our leaders are highly respected and honoured abroad, yet many Nigerians fail to value what they have because of hatred and narratives planted by political paymasters,” she wrote.

She also criticised the culture of ridicule and online abuse directed at public office holders, warning that such behaviour undermines national unity and national development.

“They bully these leaders, speak ill of them, demean them, curse them, and seize upon their mistakes to drag them across social media, ridiculing and mocking them,” she added.

The First Lady stressed that Nigeria’s progress depends on unity, mutual respect and collective responsibility, urging citizens to support their leaders rather than tear them down.

“Nigeria is built on love, unity and collective effort toward shared success. Let us support our respected leaders and work together to make our country great,” she said.

Her comments come amid renewed international attention on Nigeria’s security challenges, following claims by Trump and some US lawmakers that Christians in the country face widespread violence. In late 2025, the United States designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged attacks on Christians, a move strongly rejected by the Nigerian government.

The Federal Government described the designation as inaccurate and divisive, insisting that Nigeria’s security problems stem from terrorism and criminality affecting citizens across religious and ethnic lines.