The federal government says a week-long engagement between a high-level Nigerian delegation and top-ranking US officials has strengthened security cooperation between both countries and opened new channels of partnership aimed at protecting Nigerian citizens.
Led by National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, the delegation held meetings with senior officials from the US Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the Department of War.
During the talks in Washington, D.C., the Nigerian team firmly rejected allegations of genocide in the country, insisting that violence affects communities across religious and ethnic lines. The delegation argued that such narratives distort the facts on the ground and risk deepening divisions among Nigerians.
Following the engagements, the US government affirmed readiness to enhance security collaboration with Nigeria. This includes stepped-up intelligence sharing, faster processing of defence equipment requests, and the potential supply of excess defence articles—depending on availability—to support ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
Washington also indicated willingness to provide complementary support such as humanitarian relief for affected communities in the Middle Belt and technical assistance to strengthen Nigeria’s early-warning and crisis-response systems.
Both sides agreed to immediately operationalise a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate the new areas of collaboration.
In return, Nigeria reiterated its commitment to improving civilian protection measures in conflict-affected areas.
According to the presidency, the discussions helped address misconceptions about Nigeria, reinforced mutual trust, and advanced a more coordinated strategy to safeguard vulnerable populations, particularly in the Middle Belt region.
The 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 in the Office of the National Security Adviser.