Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to deeper cooperation on security, counterterrorism, regional stability, and strategic partnership following a series of high-level meetings in Washington involving Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Ribadu undertook a three-day working visit to the United States from May 4 to May 6, where he met with senior American officials, including Vice President J. D. Vance, Acting National Security Adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Undersecretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, and Assistant Secretary of War Daniel Zimmerim.
According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the engagements focused on strengthening ongoing collaboration in counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, defence cooperation, regional security, economic resilience, and democratic governance.
Ribadu conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to sustaining Nigeria’s longstanding strategic relationship with the United States and emphasised the need for continued international cooperation in tackling security threats across West Africa and the Sahel.
The NSA highlighted growing concerns over terrorism, violent extremism, cybercrime, and transnational organised crime, stressing that Nigeria remains committed to promoting peace, democratic governance, and economic stability across the African continent.
He also reiterated Nigeria’s role as a frontline state in regional counterterrorism operations, particularly within the Lake Chad Basin and West Africa.
During discussions at the U.S. Department of State, Ribadu expressed appreciation for American support in areas such as security assistance, intelligence cooperation, humanitarian aid, and defence capacity development.
Both countries reviewed progress under the Nigeria–U.S. Joint Working Group framework, which was established to coordinate strategic and security cooperation between the two nations.
Officials from both sides discussed measures aimed at improving intelligence sharing, military collaboration, border security, strategic communications, and institutional capacity building for Nigerian security agencies.
Ribadu also briefed U.S. officials on ongoing reforms by the Nigerian government to address insecurity through a combination of military operations and non-kinetic approaches, including community engagement, economic empowerment, deradicalisation programmes, and regional partnerships.
American officials commended Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting regional peace and security, describing the country as a critical strategic partner in Africa.
The meetings concluded with both countries reaffirming their commitment to sustained diplomatic engagement, enhanced defence cooperation, and effective implementation of initiatives under the Joint Working Group.
Nigeria and the United States also expressed optimism about the future of their bilateral relationship and pledged continued collaboration in addressing regional and global security challenges.
