Fact Check: Did Trump say he would target Nigeria after taking over Greenland?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the tensions with NATO over President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Greenland to the United States, a claim has been circulating on social media that Trump declared Nigeria would be his next target after taking control of the Arctic island. The claim has raised speculations about its authenticity. Let us fact-check it.
Claim: Donald Trump to target Nigeria after Greenland
The post surfaced as a Facebook post on January 20, claiming that after taking over Greenland, Nigeria will be Trump’s next target.
The post stated, “#Breaking News: U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Nigeria would be his next target after Greenland.”
According to the post, Trump warned that the US needed to act before China and Russia expand their influence in Africa.
It reads: “Speaking at a recent gathering, Trump reportedly said that ‘taking over Nigeria is a must’ – insisting that the country’s strategic importance makes it too valuable to be left in the hands of rival global powers."
"He also called on Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to step down, claiming strong leadership changes would be necessary for U.S. interests to prevail,” the post read.
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such statement
However, there is no evidence that Trump made such a statement. The post mentions that Trump made the declaration at a recent gathering, but does not mention further details about the supposed event.
Made-up social media posts often omit information, such as when and where, and use phrases like 'breaking news' as clickbait.
A search on Google or Trump’s social media handles generates no results about the POTUS making such a remark.
Although there are reports of Trump’s intervention against terrorists in Nigeria, there are no reports from credible media houses on the president making such a statement about the country in Africa, which, if true, would have made headlines. Hence, the claim is false.
Tensions amid threats to annex Greenland
Following Trump's threat to annex the autonomous region under the Danish kingdom, some countries in the European Union have deployed troops to the Arctic territory since January 15.
Trump’s annexation threats have raised serious doubts about the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and have threatened the stability of transatlantic trade.
Trump even threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and seven other European countries if an agreement to sell the islands to the United States is not reached by June 1.
However, on January 21, 2026, Trump abruptly withdrew his threat after speaking with international leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
