ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria and the United States have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group aimed at strengthening counterterrorism operations and expanding security cooperation between the two countries, according to the presidency.
The agreement follows several days of high-level meetings in Washington, DC, between senior American officials and a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The engagements involved multiple US institutions, including the Congress, the State Department, the National Security Council, the Department of War, and the White House Faith Office.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 24, 2025, Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, said the United States had “affirmed its readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria.”
He noted that Washington pledged enhanced intelligence sharing, faster processing of defence equipment requests, and the possible transfer of excess defence articles “subject to availability” to support Nigeria’s ongoing operations against terrorist and extremist groups.
According to the statement, the United States also signalled its willingness to provide additional humanitarian assistance to communities affected by violence in the Middle Belt, as well as technical support to bolster Nigeria’s early-warning mechanisms.
“Both countries agreed to implement immediately a non-binding cooperation framework and to establish a Joint Working Group to ensure a unified and coordinated approach to the agreed areas of cooperation,” the statement read.
“In return, the Nigerian delegation reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening civilian protection measures.”
The presidency said the discussions in Washington also allowed Nigeria to address what it described as “misconceptions” surrounding the country’s security situation.
The delegation “refuted allegations of genocide in Nigeria” and emphasised that violence impacts communities “across religious and ethnic lines.”
Onanuga added that the officials “strongly rejected wrongful framing of the situation, saying such would only divide Nigerians and distort the realities on the ground.”
The federal government, he said, remains committed to reinforcing protections for civilians as military and intelligence cooperation with the United States deepens.
“The Federal Government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” the statement said.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi; Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun; Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oloyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye; Idayat Hassan, special adviser to the NSA; and Ibrahim Babani, director of foreign relations in the office of the NSA.
