Nigeria strengthens security ties with U.S. through NSA’s high-level visit

International, Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has commended last week’s visit by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to Washington, D.C., where he held strategic meetings with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State and Acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and other senior officials of the United States government.

The engagement, according to the minister, builds on the foundation laid in 2025, when Nigeria and the United States established the Nigeria–U.S. Joint Working Group (JWG) to deepen collaboration in tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.

In a statement issued yesterday, Idris noted: “Last week, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who heads the Nigerian side of the JWG, paid a three-day working visit to the United States, meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other senior officials of the U.S. government.”

The Minister emphasized that the Nigerian government fully recognizes the importance of international cooperation and engagement in securing the nation. He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to explore all avenues to work closely with global partners to bolster Nigeria’s security architecture.

The Nigeria–U.S. Joint Working Group has already developed a roadmap that both countries are committed to implementing. Ribadu’s visit was aimed at strengthening this partnership, which spans intelligence sharing, defence cooperation, capacity building, border security, and other critical areas, while advancing the roadmap’s implementation.

Idris concluded by reaffirming the government’s central objective: “The goal remains the total security and protection of Nigerian lives, property, and territory.”

This latest engagement underscores Nigeria’s resolve to confront evolving threats with the support of international allies, while positioning the country as a proactive player in global security cooperation.