U.S., Nigeria Deepen Security Talks as Washington Reviews Religious-Freedom Concerns
The United States and Nigeria have stepped up discussions on religious freedom and security, with Washington reviewing Nigeria’s progress in addressing violence against vulnerable communities and strengthening accountability for terrorist activities.
The discussions took place during the second meeting of the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group in Washington, led by U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Both sides examined efforts to protect communities, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, while improving cooperation against terrorism and other forms of violent crime.
The U.S. acknowledged measures taken by the Nigerian government, including the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and ISWAP suspects, expansion of judicial capacity and plans to recruit and train about 50,000 additional police officers. The two countries also discussed the resettlement of internally displaced persons, counterterrorism financing and the sharing of biometric information to strengthen investigations and accountability.
Despite the progress, Washington highlighted continuing concerns over civilian deaths, transparency in humanitarian spending and the challenges surrounding the return and reintegration of displaced Nigerians. Both countries agreed to deepen military and law-enforcement cooperation, with U.S. agencies expected to support Nigeria’s capacity to tackle terrorism, protect vulnerable communities and strengthen security institutions.
