The Presidency has announced that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the United States have reached new agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation to tackle the country’s worsening insecurity.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, both nations agreed to immediately implement a non-binding cooperation framework and create a Joint Working Group to ensure coordinated action in key areas of security support.
The agreement followed a series of high-level meetings held in Washington, DC, between a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and senior US officials from the State Department, US Congress, National Security Council, Department of Defense, and the White House Faith Office.
Key Areas of the Agreement
The United States expressed readiness to deepen its partnership with Nigeria through:
- Enhanced intelligence sharing
- Faster processing of defence equipment requests
- Possible supply of excess defence articles (subject to availability)
- Humanitarian assistance to communities affected by violence in the Middle Belt
- Technical support to strengthen early-warning systems
The presidency added that the discussions corrected several misconceptions about Nigeria, especially claims of genocide. The Nigerian delegation stressed that violent attacks affect all communities—regardless of religion or ethnicity—and warned against narratives capable of dividing the country.
Nigeria’s Commitments
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to:
- Strengthening civilian protection
- Improving early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms
- Enhancing coordinated security operations nationwide
According to the statement, the engagements reinforced mutual trust and opened new avenues for bilateral cooperation aimed at protecting vulnerable communities, particularly in the Middle Belt.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included:
- Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Attorney General of the Federation
- Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff
- Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence
- IGP Kayode Egbetokun
- Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of Foreign Relations, ONSA
- Ms. Idayat Hassan, Special Adviser to the NSA
The Presidency urged Nigerians to remain confident that the government is taking “firm, urgent, and coordinated” steps to secure the nation.
