A fresh round of high-level security consultations between Nigeria and the United States is set to begin, following renewed diplomatic efforts to address Washington’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and recent threats issued by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Responding to the development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assembled a high-powered delegation headed by National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to engage American officials on expanded security support for Nigeria.
Leading figures in the team include Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard Doro.
Also joining the delegation are the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; and Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Ms. Idayat Hassan from the NSA’s office and Mr. Paul Alabi from the Nigerian Embassy in Washington will serve as secretariat members of the newly formed working group.
Officials explained that the United States–Nigeria Joint Working Group will serve as a formal mechanism for deepening cooperation between the two countries as Nigeria faces intensifying security threats across several regions.
Following last week’s engagements in Washington—where Ribadu met top-ranking U.S. officials—the establishment of the joint working group emerged as one of the most significant outcomes.
Onanuga added that the NSA-led delegation will be supported by experts drawn from security, diplomatic, defence, and humanitarian institutions to drive the implementation of commitments reached with the United States.
President Tinubu has tasked the group with working tirelessly alongside their American counterparts to operationalise all agreed frameworks and strengthen cooperation on intelligence, operations, and humanitarian interventions.
The Joint Working Group, he noted, is expected to accelerate collaboration on intelligence sharing, provide operational backing, enhance humanitarian coordination, and reinforce Nigeria’s overall security architecture.
Amid these engagements, controversy surrounding Nigeria’s CPC designation continues, triggered by petitions from Christian leaders alleging targeted attacks against Christians—a claim the Federal Government strongly rejected.
Minister of Information Mohammed Idris maintained that President Trump misinterpreted Nigeria’s complex security landscape despite ongoing efforts by the Tinubu administration to suppress terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes.
