Nigeria And U.S Agree To Establish Joint Working Group To Boost Security Cooperation
By: NaijaEnquirer Staff
The United States and Nigeria have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to coordinate a new phase of defence and security cooperation.
This development follows high-level engagements between both countries in Washington, D.C., last week.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Monday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the discussions reinforced “a constructive and solution-driven partnership” while addressing what Nigeria has described as damaging misconceptions about its internal security landscape.
According to Onanuga, the Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, used every meeting in Washington to refute allegations of a state-backed or religiously targeted genocide in Nigeria.
“The delegation strongly rejected wrongful framing of the situation,” Onanuga said, emphasizing that “violent attacks affect families and communities across religious and ethnic lines.”
Following the engagements, Onanuga announced that the U.S. Government expressed readiness to expand its security cooperation with Nigeria.
This expanded collaboration includes:
- Enhanced intelligence sharing
- Faster processing of defence equipment requests
- Possible access to excess U.S. defence assets, subject to availability
- Support for Nigeria’s operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups
The U.S. Government also signaled willingness to provide humanitarian assistance to affected communities and technical support to bolster early-warning systems.
Both countries agreed to immediately operationalise a non-binding cooperation framework and establish a Joint Working Group to coordinate next steps.
The platform will allow for:
- Streamlined intelligence collaboration
- Clearer defence engagement channels
- More structured humanitarian and crisis-response coordination
In return, Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening civilian protection measures as security agencies intensify their operations against extremist groups.
Onanuga said the Washington talks provided ample opportunity to correct long-standing misconceptions about Nigeria, reinforcing mutual trust between both governments.
He added that the Federal Government remains aware of heightened global sensitivities regarding religious freedom and assured Nigerians that “firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation.”
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi; Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun; Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye; Special Adviser to the NSA, Idayat Hassan; and Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of Foreign Relations at the Office of the NSA.
