Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation on security, counterterrorism, regional stability, and strategic partnership following a high-level engagement between officials of both countries in Washington, D.C.
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, undertook a three-day working visit to the United States from May 4 to May 6, 2026, where he held a series of meetings with senior U.S. government officials on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
During the visit, Ribadu met with U.S. 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.
The discussions focused on reviewing the current state of Nigeria–United States relations and advancing collaboration in areas including counterterrorism, defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, regional security, economic resilience, and democratic governance.
Ribadu stressed the importance of sustained international cooperation in addressing emerging security threats confronting West Africa and the Sahel region, particularly terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime, and cyber threats.
The NSA reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to working with global partners to promote peace, stability, democratic governance, and economic development across Africa. He also highlighted Nigeria’s strategic role as a frontline state in counterterrorism operations within the Lake Chad Basin and the wider West African region.
The meetings further examined the evolving security challenges in the Sahel and underscored the need for stronger regional cooperation and enhanced institutional capacity to effectively tackle asymmetric threats.
At a separate meeting with Allison Hooker at the U.S. Department of State, Ribadu expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for continued American support in areas such as security assistance, intelligence collaboration, defence capacity building, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism operations.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementing the roadmap under the Nigeria–U.S. Joint Working Group (JWG), established to strengthen structured bilateral cooperation on strategic and security matters.
Both sides reviewed progress recorded under the JWG framework and discussed measures aimed at improving implementation of agreed initiatives, including intelligence sharing, military cooperation, border security, strategic communications, and capacity development for Nigerian security institutions.
The talks also highlighted the importance of maintaining regular communication channels and stronger institutional coordination between both countries in addressing shared security concerns.
Ribadu also briefed U.S. officials on ongoing reforms and operational measures by the Nigerian government aimed at improving national security, stabilising affected communities, and addressing the root causes of insecurity.
According to him, the Tinubu administration’s strategy combines kinetic and non-kinetic approaches, including community engagement, economic development, deradicalisation programmes, and regional partnerships.
U.S. officials commended Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting regional peace and security and acknowledged the country’s strategic importance to the United States in Africa.
Both nations reaffirmed their shared commitment to democratic values, regional stability, economic cooperation, and sustainable peace across West Africa and the Sahel.
The meetings ended with both countries expressing optimism about the future of the Nigeria–U.S. strategic partnership and pledging to deepen diplomatic engagement, defence cooperation, and implementation of ongoing bilateral initiatives under the Joint Working Group framework.
