President Bola Tinubu has approved a multi-agency Nigerian team for the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group to enhance security cooperation amid rising international pressure on Nigeria’s human-rights and counter-terrorism record.
President Bola Tinubu has constituted the Nigerian delegation for the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, a new bilateral platform aimed at deepening security cooperation. Led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, the team includes top officials from defence, foreign affairs, intelligence, policing, and humanitarian ministries, with “Ms Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser and Mr Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria in the US” serving as the secretariat.
Tinubu urged them to engage closely with US officials to implement agreements reached during high-level meetings in Washington DC. The move comes as President Donald Trump recently designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and warned of possible military intervention over alleged religious-freedom violations. During their US engagements, the Nigerian delegation rejected claims of genocide, saying “wrongful framing of the situation would only divide Nigerians and distort the realities on the ground.” Both countries agreed to begin a non-binding cooperation framework immediately, focusing on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, defence equipment, humanitarian support, and protection of vulnerable communities.