By Nkechi Eze
Nigeria and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, particularly in the fight against terrorism and other emerging security threats.
According to an official statement signed by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Defence, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd.) stated this on Wednesday in Abuja when he received Major General Matthew Brown, Commander of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), on an official working visit.
The meeting focused on reviewing ongoing joint security initiatives and developing a more result-oriented framework for future military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
Musa expressed appreciation to the U.S. government for its sustained support, noting that collaborative security operations in the North-East, particularly around the Lake Chad Basin, had contributed to boosting the morale of Nigerian troops.
He 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 strengthened cooperation.
The Minister said greater collaboration in these areas would help Nigeria build stronger institutional and operational capacity to confront terrorism and other security challenges.
In his remarks, Brown extended early Independence Day greetings to Nigeria and commended the longstanding military-to-military relationship between both countries.
He highlighted successful counter-terrorism engagements against ISIS-affiliated groups in Africa and commended the troops involved in the operations.
Brown also clarified that current U.S. military activities in Nigeria are temporary and focused on institutional support and collaboration, following the departure of soldiers who were part of the Combined Special Task Force that operated in the Bauchi area.
He described the bilateral relationship as strategic and founded on mutual trust, saying his visit was aimed at gaining a direct understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities to better align broader U.S. support.
He further reaffirmed the importance of strengthening bilateral intelligence sharing as both countries continue efforts to counter terrorism and other emerging security threats.
