The administration of President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria and the United States have agreed to strengthen joint efforts aimed at tackling the country’s longstanding security challenges.
This follows a series of high-level engagements in Washington, D.C., last week, where a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, held meetings with senior officials from the US Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense. The discussions were prompted by recent allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Providing more details on Monday, Presidential Media Adviser Bayo Onanuga said the talks were productive and have opened new avenues for deeper security collaboration between the two countries.
According to him, the Nigerian delegation firmly refuted claims of genocide, insisting that violent attacks across the country affect families and communities “across religious and ethnic lines.”
He noted that the delegation “strongly rejected wrongful framing of the situation,” warning that such narratives only divide Nigerians and misrepresent the realities on the ground.
Onanuga revealed that the United States government expressed readiness to expand its security partnership with Nigeria. This will include:
- Enhanced intelligence support
- Faster processing of defence equipment requests
- Possible provision of excess defence articles to strengthen operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups
- Humanitarian assistance for affected communities in the Middle Belt
- Technical support to improve early-warning and response mechanisms
Both sides also agreed to immediately implement a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate efforts in the agreed areas of collaboration.
In return, Onanuga said, the Nigerian delegation reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening civilian protection and improving security response across the country.