Nigeria has rejected claims circulating across social media that it supported or endorsed the recent failed military coup attempt in neighbouring Niger Republic, describing the reports as false and deliberately designed to damage the country’s reputation.
The Federal Government’s position was conveyed by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, in a statement issued on Thursday. He said the allegations had no basis and urged Nigerians at home and abroad not to accept online videos and narratives that portray Nigeria as supporting an unconstitutional seizure of power.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s position on military intervention in government remains unchanged. He stressed that the country does not support coups and would not endorse any attempt to remove a constitutional government through unconstitutional means.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria remained committed to constitutional governance, democratic institutions and political stability, both within West Africa and across the wider Sahel region. He maintained that the country’s participation in regional efforts through the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, should not be interpreted as approval of military rule.
The minister’s clarification followed what he described as a wave of misleading claims suggesting that Nigeria and ECOWAS were somehow involved in or supportive of the attempted takeover in Niger. He characterised those claims as “baseless” and “irresponsible”, arguing that they could create unnecessary tension and undermine Nigeria’s standing within the region.
Nigeria, he said, had already publicly communicated its position on the developments in Niger in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 30, 2026. The earlier statement expressed concern about the situation and called for a peaceful path toward stability and constitutional order.
Rather than endorsing military intervention, the Federal Government’s stated position was that Niger should pursue a peaceful, inclusive and participatory process capable of restoring stability and constitutional governance.
The minister also placed Nigeria’s response within the context of the close relationship between the two countries. Niger and Nigeria share a border as well as long-standing historical, cultural and fraternal connections, making developments in Niger particularly significant to Nigeria.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria wanted peace, security, democratic governance and development for Niger, as well as for the wider West African and Sahelian regions.
He argued that Nigeria’s regional responsibilities made stability in neighbouring countries important, but those responsibilities did not mean Abuja would abandon its opposition to unconstitutional changes of government.
“Nigeria will never support illegality or unconstitutional change of government anywhere, no matter who is involved or which country is concerned,” the minister said.
He also rejected the suggestion that Nigeria’s membership of ECOWAS meant it accepted military coups in member states.
“While Nigeria is a proud and committed member of ECOWAS, it is unfair, mischievous and entirely false to suggest that Nigeria endorses or condones the military coup,” Enikanolaiye said.
The statement represents a renewed effort by the Federal Government to draw a distinction between Nigeria’s participation in regional diplomacy and any alleged support for military intervention.
Nigeria remains a member of ECOWAS, a regional organisation whose framework includes commitments to democratic governance and opposition to unconstitutional changes of government. Enikanolaiye said Nigeria continued to stand by those principles.
He specifically reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. He also cited the African Union’s established position against unconstitutional changes of government, saying Nigeria remained aligned with the continental body’s zero-tolerance approach.
The minister’s comments come against a broader regional backdrop in which military takeovers and political instability have remained major concerns across parts of West Africa and the Sahel. In that environment, Nigeria’s government considers adherence to constitutional order and democratic processes an important part of its regional policy.
For Abuja, the issue is also tied to the credibility of Nigeria’s diplomatic position. As one of the region’s major countries and a prominent ECOWAS member, Nigeria’s position on political crises in neighbouring states can have implications beyond its own borders.
Enikanolaiye therefore urged Nigerians not to give credibility to social media material that he said was intended to create divisions or misrepresent the Federal Government’s position.
He appealed to Nigerians living both within the country and abroad to disregard the videos and narratives circulating online, particularly those portraying Nigeria as having endorsed the attempted military takeover.
The minister described such material as an effort to “sow discord”, warning implicitly against allowing unverified online claims to shape public understanding of Nigeria’s foreign policy.
Rather than supporting unconstitutional political change, Enikanolaiye said Nigeria would continue working through regional and international institutions to promote democratic governance and stability.
He identified ECOWAS and the African Union as key partners in that effort and said Nigeria would also continue cooperating with the broader international community.
The government’s stated objective, according to the minister, is to defend democratic principles, strengthen respect for the rule of law and encourage peaceful solutions to political instability across West Africa and the Sahel.
The clarification also reinforces the position contained in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ August 30 statement, which called for a peaceful and inclusive return to stability and constitutional order in Niger.
For Nigeria, the minister said, maintaining constitutional government is not a position that changes according to the country involved or the individuals behind a political crisis. His statement emphasised that the principle applies regardless of who is attempting to change a government or where such an attempt takes place.
The Federal Government consequently rejected the social media narrative that Nigeria had backed the failed coup attempt, describing it as deliberately misleading rather than a reflection of official policy.
Enikanolaiye’s statement concluded with a reaffirmation of Nigeria’s intention to remain engaged with ECOWAS, the African Union and other international partners on efforts to protect democratic governance.
He said Nigeria would continue to work with those institutions to uphold the rule of law and advance peace and security across the region.
The Federal Government’s message is therefore clear: Nigeria’s involvement in regional diplomacy and its membership of ECOWAS should not be interpreted as support for military coups. Abuja maintains that its policy remains centred on constitutional order, democracy, regional stability and peaceful resolution of political crises.
Nigeria Rejects Claims It Supported Failed Military Coup Attempt in Niger Republic
