President Bola Tinubu has approved the constitution of the Nigerian delegation to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation in tackling insecurity across the country.
The move follows agreements reached during a recent high-level visit to Washington DC, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to a statement on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Ribadu will head the Nigerian side of the Joint Working Group, supported by senior officials drawn from strategic ministries and security agencies.
Members of the group include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser and Paul Alabi of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States will serve as the secretariat.
Tinubu urged the members to work closely with their American counterparts to ensure smooth and effective implementation of all agreed initiatives across sectors.
Nigeria’s insecurity has continued to draw global concern. Former US President Donald Trump once alleged a “Christian genocide” in the country, threatening American military intervention—claims the Federal Government dismissed, insisting it was actively addressing security challenges.
The President has repeatedly maintained that protecting Nigerians remains a top priority, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to religious freedom and tolerance.
On November 21, the US House Subcommittee on Africa reviewed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern, with witnesses offering divergent opinions on the killings recorded in parts of the country.
