Nigeria, US Deepen Defence Ties, Counter-Terrorism Cooperation in Washington
Oru Leonard
Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence and security cooperation, with senior officials from both countries holding high-level talks in Washington D.C.
The engagement, which took place at the Pentagon, focused on deepening military-to-military relations, intelligence cooperation and operational coordination in the fight against terrorism and other security threats.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), OFR, led a high-powered Nigerian delegation to the meeting. The delegation included the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. General Parker Udiandeye; and other senior officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Nigerian delegation held discussions with senior officials of the United States Department of War, led by Julia Sokol, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for International Security Affairs.
The meeting was described as a continuation of the United States-Nigeria Joint Working Group Defence Bilateral Talks, with discussions centred on shared security architecture, intelligence collaboration and strengthening operational synergies between the two countries.
The engagements formed part of a broader diplomatic mission to the United States led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for the second meeting of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group held from August 12 to 13, 2026.
The Joint Working Group meeting was co-chaired by Ribadu and Allison Hooker, the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the meeting reviewed progress on previously agreed actions and considered strategic frameworks following Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Both countries, it said, reaffirmed their commitment to sustained dialogue, mutual respect and a strategic partnership aimed at addressing regional and global security challenges.
The latest engagement underscores the growing importance of Nigeria-US security cooperation, particularly in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and strengthening the operational capabilities of Nigeria’s security forces.
