Nigeria, US Deepen Defence Ties, Counter-Terrorism Cooperation
By Matthew Eloyi
Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening military-to-military relations and strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation following high-level bilateral defence and security talks in Washington D.C.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), led a high-powered Nigerian delegation to strategic engagements with senior officials of the United States Department of War at the Pentagon.
The delegation included the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. General Parker Udiandeye; and other senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Nigerian team held discussions with senior U.S. cabinet officials led by Julia Sokol, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs.
The Ministry of Defence, in a statement on Thursday, said the engagement was a continuation of the United States-Nigeria Joint Working Group Defence Bilateral Talks, with discussions centred on shared security architecture, intelligence collaboration and operational synergies.
The broader diplomatic mission was led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and formed part of the second meeting of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group held from August 12 to 13, 2026.
The meeting, co-chaired by Ribadu and Allison Hooker, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, reviewed progress on actionable areas and strategic frameworks following Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
According to the Ministry, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue, mutual respect and a strategic partnership in addressing global and regional security threats.
The latest engagements are expected to further strengthen cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism operations and broader defence relations, as both countries seek to respond more effectively to evolving security challenges.
The talks also underscored the importance of closer coordination between the two countries’ security establishments in developing shared approaches to regional and international threats.
The Defence Ministry said the high-level engagements demonstrated the continued importance attached by Nigeria and the United States to their strategic defence and security partnership.
