President Bola Tinubu has taken a decisive step to bolster Nigeria's security architecture by officially approving the membership of the Nigerian delegation to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group. This high-level, bilateral initiative is designed to strengthen cooperation on critical security matters between the two nations.
Composition of the High-Powered Team
The multi-agency team will be headed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. In a statement released by the President's aide, Bayo Onanuga, the formidable lineup of members was unveiled. The delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Other key figures are the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard M. Doro; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed; and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun. Ms Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser and Mr Paul Alabi of the Nigerian Embassy in the US will serve as the secretariat for the group.
Background and Strategic Imperatives
This decisive action follows a recent high-level visit to Washington DC by a Nigerian delegation, which was also led by NSA Ribadu. The timing of this initiative is crucial, coming on the heels of recent remarks from US leadership. US President Donald Trump had designated Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" over allegations of religious-freedom violations and hinted at potential military intervention if attacks on Christians continue.
During the meetings in the US, the Nigerian delegation firmly rejected allegations of genocide, emphasising that violent attacks affect communities across all religious and ethnic lines. They argued that a wrongful framing of the situation would only serve to divide Nigerians and distort the realities on the ground.
Agreed Areas of Cooperation and Next Steps
President Tinubu has charged the newly constituted team to engage closely with their American counterparts to ensure the implementation of all security agreements reached during the Washington visit. The core mandate of the working group is to coordinate bilateral efforts on counter-terrorism, defence cooperation, and regional stability.
The United States has expressed its readiness to deepen security support, which includes enhanced intelligence sharing, expedited processing of defence equipment requests, and the potential provision of excess defence articles. Both nations agreed to implement a non-binding cooperation framework immediately and to establish this Joint Working Group to coordinate efforts. The Nigerian government has urged the public to remain assured that coordinated measures are being taken to enhance security nationwide.
