NIGERIA has continued to build on its partnership with the United States (US) to confront terrorism following a high-level meeting earlier this week between the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and United States officials, led by Vice President James Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting, which took place in Washington, was announced in a social media post by Secure Nigerian.
The ICIR reports that the meeting signals a more robust partnership between both countries as Nigeria intensifies military operations against insurgent groups including Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and other extremist networks spreading across the Sahel region.
“This week, Nigeria’s National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, met with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reinforcing a decisive U.S.-Nigeria partnership to confront terrorism in West Africa,” the post read.
According to the statement, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for sustained American intelligence sharing, military training, and counterterrorism support to Nigerian forces.
“@officialABAT is grateful for @realDonaldTrump’s partnership and continued U.S. training and intelligence support as Nigerian forces intensify operations to dismantle terrorist networks, protect Nigerian Christians, and defend all vulnerable communities,” added.
It also highlighted the growing instability across West Africa, explaining that the collaboration with the US government would help to defeat terrorism and strengthen regional security cooperation.
“Africa’s largest democracy isn’t wavering. Nigeria stands as a frontline U.S. partner against ISIS, Boko Haram, and rising terror threats across the Sahel. This fight is winnable, and together, the U.S. and Nigeria intend to finish it,” the statement added.
The renewed security engagement comes amid growing instability across West Africa, where extremist violence has expanded beyond Nigeria into Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and parts of coastal West African states.
Since returning to office in January 2025 for his second term, Trump’s administration has pursued a more aggressive security-focused foreign policy in Africa, prioritising counterterrorism cooperation and strategic partnerships with regional allies. Nigeria, under Tinubu’s administration, has increasingly positioned itself as Washington’s most significant democratic and military ally in West Africa.
In November 2025, Ribadu led a 10-member high-level Nigerian delegation to Washington DC, where they held strategic security and diplomatic engagements with US officials.
A month later, in December 2025, Ribadu hosted a delegation from the US Congress in Abuja as both countries intensified bilateral cooperation on security and counterterrorism efforts.
The congressional delegation was led by senior lawmakers and included Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Norma Torres, Scott Franklin, Juan Ciscomani, and Riley Moore
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.