The president Bola Tinubu administration says recent meetings between Nuhu Ribadu and top United States officials will strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and regional security.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to Tinubu on information and strategy, said Ribadu visited the United States from May 4 to May 6 for a series of high-level engagements.
During the visit, Ribadu met with J. D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Allison Hooker, US undersecretary for political affairs, and Daniel Zimmerim, assistant secretary of war.
According to the presidency, the meetings focused on strengthening cooperation in counter-terrorism, defence collaboration, intelligence sharing, regional stability, cyber security and democratic governance.
The statement said Ribadu conveyed Tinubu’s commitment to maintaining Nigeria’s strategic partnership with the United States.
“Ribadu emphasised the importance of sustained cooperation in addressing emerging security challenges confronting West Africa and the broader Sahel region,” the statement reads.
The NSA reportedly highlighted threats such as terrorism, violent extremism, transnational organised crime and cyber threats.
The presidency said discussions also examined the evolving security situation in the Sahel and the need for stronger regional and institutional responses to asymmetric threats.
During his meeting with Hooker at the US department of state, Ribadu expressed appreciation for continued American support in intelligence cooperation, defence capacity building, humanitarian assistance and counter-terrorism operations.
He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementing agreements reached under the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group (JWG), a bilateral framework designed to strengthen strategic and security cooperation.
According to the statement, both countries reviewed progress under the framework and discussed ways to improve intelligence sharing, military cooperation, border security, strategic communication and institutional capacity development.
Ribadu also briefed US officials on ongoing reforms by the Nigerian government to address insecurity through both military and non-military approaches.
The NSA said the government’s strategy includes community engagement, economic development, deradicalisation programmes and regional partnerships.
The presidency added that US officials commended Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting regional peace and security across West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin.
Both countries, according to the statement, pledged to deepen diplomatic dialogue and expand defence and security cooperation under the Joint Working Group framework.