President Bola Tinubu has approved the Nigerian contingent of the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, a strategic platform aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation on national and regional security. The move follows renewed pressure on Nigeria to strengthen its security response and intensified diplomatic engagements with the United States.
The approval was announced on Thursday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu will lead the high-level team, which comprises top officials from major security, intelligence and foreign policy institutions.
Members include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard M. Doro; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed; and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Ms. Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser and Mr. Paul Alabi of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States will serve as the secretariat of the working group.
Tinubu’s approval follows a recent visit to Washington DC by a Nigerian delegation led by Ribadu, where both countries agreed to deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism, defence operations and regional stability.
The Joint Working Group is expected to coordinate and monitor the implementation of all agreements reached during the visit.
The urgency surrounding the partnership increased in recent weeks after US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious-freedom violations. Trump also warned of possible military action if attacks on Christians persist, a statement that has sharpened diplomatic and security discussions between both nations.
The President urged the Nigerian delegation to work closely with their American counterparts to ensure full and effective execution of the partnership.
The working group is expected to begin engagements immediately as Nigeria seeks to strengthen security operations amid ongoing insurgency, banditry and communal conflicts across parts of the country.
