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Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments on Nigeria are merely a reflection of the country’s longstanding internal failures, not the root of its problems.
Kukah delivered the remarks in Lagos on Friday during the 60th birthday celebration of journalist and former presidential aide, Reuben Abati, which also featured the unveiling of Abati’s three new books.
Trump had, on October 31, redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of widespread attacks on Christians and warned that the United States could consider military action or halt aid if the violence persisted.
Responding to the statement, Kukah said the controversy surrounding Trump’s position should force Nigerian leaders to confront the nation’s deep-seated governance and identity issues.
According to him, “Trump is not our problem; he is simply highlighting what we have refused to fix. We are mistaking the messenger for the illness. The real disease is within Nigeria.”
The bishop described the country as a place struggling with institutional weakness, poor values, and a lack of cohesive national vision.
“If we appear chaotic, quarrelsome and angry, it is because we have not built the moral or institutional framework required to stabilize a nation,” he added.
Kukah argued that Trump’s warning—however confrontational—should be seen as a wake-up call.
“Whether it comes from Trump or anyone else, the message is clear: Nigeria must wake up and confront its realities,” he said.
He also lamented the absence of strong national symbols and functional tourist sites, saying Nigeria’s inability to showcase its identity or leadership reflects its deeper structural problems.
“If a visitor arrives in this country today, where do you take them? In many countries, national monuments and presidential residences are sources of pride. Here, we hardly have anything to present,” he observed.
The cleric further questioned the country’s lack of universally respected statesmen.
“Who are the Nigerians whose names inspire admiration across the nation without controversy?” he asked, noting that Nigeria’s fractured identity is evident in the absence of shared heroes.
Kukah concluded that Nigeria needs a fundamental reset. “We need to reload—because either we never fired properly or the target has moved. But one thing is certain: the time to rebuild is now,” he said.
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