Daniel Bwala Links 'Genocide Claims' To VP Shettima's UN Speech

Daniel Bwala Links 'Genocide Claims' to VP Shettima's UN Speech: A Full Analysis

In a recent media appearance, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the Nigerian President on Policy Communication, made headlines by linking allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria to the country’s diplomatic stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

His comments were delivered during an interview with France24 TV in Paris, where he addressed the timing and motivations behind the sudden surge in genocide claims.

Bwala argued that the narrative of Christian genocide in Nigeria was strategically amplified following Vice-President Kashim Shettima’s speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In that address,

Shettima condemned the violence in Gaza and advocated for a two-state solution as the most dignified path to peace between Israel and Palestine. He emphasized the sanctity of human life and called for an end to the suffering of innocent civilians caught in the conflict.

According to Bwala, this diplomatic position triggered a backlash from certain Western actors, who he claims began promoting the genocide narrative as a form of retaliation. He specifically cited American comedian and commentator Bill Maher as one of the figures who initiated this campaign, stating that Maher’s remarks came just 24 hours after Nigeria’s UN speech.

Bwala described the genocide claims as a “cooked-up narrative by the West” and suggested that they were motivated by Nigeria’s growing economic progress and assertive foreign policy.

He also criticized the credibility of the reports fueling the genocide narrative, particularly those from the organization Intersociety, which he claimed contained multiple contradictions.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, Bwala stressed that these issues were being addressed and should not be misrepresented as systematic religious persecution.

The controversy underscores the complex interplay between international diplomacy and domestic narratives. Nigeria’s position on global conflicts, especially one as polarizing as the Israeli-Palestinian issue, appears to have reverberated beyond the UN stage, influencing perceptions and media discourse about its internal affairs.

Bwala’s remarks reflect a broader concern within the Nigerian government about how foreign commentary can shape global understanding of its domestic challenges, particularly in the realm of religious and ethnic tensions.