1st October, 2026 | News

Nigeria, US Deepen Military Cooperation on Counter-Terrorism, Intelligence Sharing

Nigeria and the United States are set to deepen military cooperation, with counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing, Special Forces training and border security identified as key areas of collaboration.

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, stated this in Abuja while receiving Major General Matthew Brown, Commander of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), during an official working visit to the Ministry of Defence.

According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the visit focused on reviewing ongoing joint security initiatives and developing a more results-oriented framework for future defence cooperation.

Nigeria Identifies Key Areas for Defence Cooperation

Musa thanked the US government for its continued security partnership with Nigeria, particularly its support for collaborative operations in the North-East and around the Lake Chad Basin.

The Defence Minister said the cooperation had contributed to boosting troop morale and called for further collaboration in areas that could strengthen Nigeria’s security capabilities.

He identified specialised joint training for Special Forces, intelligence sharing and capacity building as priority areas.

Musa also highlighted enhanced border surveillance and security, support for counter-improvised explosive device operations and the modernisation of defence infrastructure as areas where cooperation could help strengthen Nigeria’s local capacity.

US Commander Highlights Counter-Terrorism Partnership

Brown extended early Independence Day greetings to Nigeria and acknowledged the decades-long military relationship between the two countries.

He said the partnership continued to support their shared security objectives and highlighted US counter-terrorism engagements against ISIS-affiliated groups in Africa.

Brown also commended troops involved in the operations.

US Clarifies Military Engagement in Nigeria

The US commander also addressed the nature of American military activities in Nigeria following the departure of soldiers who had been part of the Combined Special Task Force operating in the Bauchi area.

Brown said US military activities in Nigeria were temporary and focused on institutional support and collaboration.

He described the bilateral military relationship as strategic and based on mutual trust.

According to Brown, the purpose of his visit was to gain a direct understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities so that the United States could better align its broader support with those priorities.

He added that the visit would also help strengthen ongoing intelligence-sharing efforts between the two countries.