The U.S. and Nigeria have agreed to establish a Joint Security Working Group to deepen defence cooperation after Nigerian officials used high-level meetings in Washington to rebut claims of a state-backed or religiously targeted genocide.
The United States and Nigeria have agreed to form a Joint Working Group to coordinate a new phase of defence and security cooperation, following high-level talks in Washington where Nigeria strongly rejected allegations of a state-sanctioned or religiously motivated genocide.
According to a statement by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu used every meeting to correct what it called damaging misconceptions, stressing that “violent attacks affect families and communities across religious and ethnic lines.”
The U.S. government, in turn, expressed readiness to expand support through enhanced intelligence sharing, faster processing of defence equipment requests, and possible access to excess U.S. defence assets, alongside humanitarian and early-warning assistance. Both sides agreed to operationalise a cooperation framework and establish a structured Joint Working Group to streamline intelligence, defence engagement, and crisis-response coordination.
Onanuga added that the dialogue helped “correct misconceptions” and reinforce trust as Nigeria reaffirmed its commitment to protecting civilians while countering extremist groups.
The meetings followed claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump alleging a Christian genocide in Nigeria—claims Abuja has repeatedly dismissed as inaccurate and misleading.