Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation, with particular emphasis on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, specialised training and border security.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), made this known on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the Commander of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), Major General Matthew Brown, during an official working visit to the Ministry of Defence.
The meeting focused on reviewing ongoing joint security initiatives and developing a more result-oriented strategic framework for future defence cooperation between both countries.
Musa expressed appreciation to the United States Government for its continued military partnership with Nigeria, noting that collaborative security operations, particularly in the North-East and the Lake Chad Basin, had contributed to improved troop morale.
The minister identified several areas for enhanced bilateral cooperation, including specialised joint training for Special Forces, intelligence sharing and capacity building, improved border surveillance and security, counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) support, as well as the modernisation of defence infrastructure.
According to him, strengthening these areas would help build Nigeria’s institutional and operational capacity to respond more effectively to terrorism and other security threats.
Musa’s meeting with the U.S. military delegation comes amid ongoing efforts by Nigeria to strengthen international partnerships in the fight against terrorism and other transnational security challenges.
US Reaffirms Support for Nigeria
In his remarks, Brown extended early Independence Day greetings to Nigeria and acknowledged the longstanding military-to-military relationship between the two countries.
He highlighted what he described as successful counter-terrorism engagements against ISIS-affiliated groups in Africa and commended troops involved in such operations.
Addressing questions around the nature of current U.S. military activities in Nigeria, Brown clarified that American engagements in the country are temporary and focused primarily on institutional support and military collaboration.
He also referred to the departure of personnel who formed part of the Combined Special Task Force that previously operated in the Bauchi area, stressing that the current U.S. engagement remains centred on strengthening Nigeria’s defence institutions and bilateral cooperation.
Brown described the Nigeria-U.S. military relationship as strategic and based on mutual trust, saying his visit was aimed at gaining a direct understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities.
He said such an understanding would enable the United States to better align its support with Nigeria’s identified needs while strengthening ongoing bilateral intelligence-sharing arrangements.
The discussions underscored the two countries’ shared interest in improving counter-terrorism capabilities, strengthening intelligence cooperation and enhancing Nigeria’s capacity to address security threats through sustained military-to-military engagement.
