By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria and the United States have commenced a high-level Joint Working Group meeting in Washington, D.C., to assess progress in bilateral counterterrorism efforts and chart the next phase of security cooperation between both countries.
The meeting brought together Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, as members of the Nigerian delegation.
The Nigerian delegation is led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, while the United States delegation is headed by Allison Hooker, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
The meeting is the second edition of the Joint Working Group, following the inaugural session held in Abuja in January 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria-US cooperation on security and intelligence sharing, protection of vulnerable communities, particularly those at risk of religiously motivated violence, and other areas of mutual interest.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ongoing sessions are focused on deepening security and defence cooperation between both countries.
Key areas under review include plans for the return and enhanced protection of internally displaced persons, intelligence gathering and coordination, measures to combat terrorist financing, accountability for perpetrators of terrorism and improved border control to curb the movement of illicit goods, resources and people.
The meeting will also feature a strategic review of the Defence Roadmap aimed at further strengthening bilateral security cooperation.
The engagement reflected the commitment of Nigeria and the United States to deepening collaboration in addressing shared security challenges and promoting the protection of vulnerable communities.
