Nigeria, US deepen defence ties, counter-terrorism partnership in Washington
Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence relations and deepening cooperation in the fight against terrorism and other security threats.
The commitment followed high-level bilateral engagements between Nigerian and US officials in Washington, D.C., aimed at enhancing military-to-military relations, intelligence collaboration and operational coordination.
The engagements were led on the Nigerian side by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), who was accompanied by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Parker Udiandeye; and other senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
During a strategic meeting at the Pentagon, the Nigerian delegation held discussions with senior officials of the United States Department of War, led by Julia Sokol, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs.
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The meeting was described as a continuation of the United States-Nigeria Joint Working Group Defence Bilateral Talks, with discussions focusing on shared security architecture, intelligence cooperation and operational synergies.
The broader diplomatic mission, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, formed part of the second meeting of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group held in Washington from August 12 to 13, 2026.
The meeting was co-chaired by Ribadu and Allison Hooker, the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
According to a statement issued by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Defence, the discussions reviewed progress made on agreed areas of cooperation and examined strategic frameworks following Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The two countries, the statement said, reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue, mutual respect and a strategic partnership focused on addressing global and regional security threats.
The engagements are expected to further strengthen Nigeria-US defence cooperation, particularly in the areas of counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and joint efforts to address emerging security challenges.
By PRNigeria
