Nigeria, US Deepen Military Ties to Tackle Terrorism

Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation, particularly in the fight against terrorism and other emerging security threats.

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), stated this in Abuja when he received the Commander of the United States Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), Major General Matthew Brown, who was on an official working visit to the Ministry of Defence.

In a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, Musa said the partnership between both countries had continued to contribute to counter terrorism efforts, particularly in the North East and the Lake Chad Basin.

He expressed appreciation to the US government for its sustained military partnership with Nigeria, noting that joint security operations had boosted the morale of troops engaged in counter terrorism operations.

The minister identified specialised joint training for Special Forces, intelligence sharing and capacity building, enhanced border surveillance, counter improvised explosive device (C-IED) support and the modernisation of defence infrastructure as priority areas for deeper cooperation.

According to him, strengthening these areas would enhance Nigeria’s operational capabilities while building local capacity to address security threats.

In his remarks, Brown extended early Independence Day felicitations to Nigeria and expressed appreciation for the decades-long military to military relationship between both countries.

He highlighted successful counter terrorism engagements against ISIS-affiliated groups in Africa and commended troops involved in the operations.

Addressing the nature of US military engagements in Nigeria, Brown said the activities remained temporary and were focused on institutional support and collaboration.

He described the bilateral military relationship as strategic and founded on mutual trust, stressing that his visit was aimed at gaining a direct understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities.

He said the understanding would enable the US to better align its support with Nigeria’s security needs while strengthening ongoing bilateral intelligence-sharing efforts.