Nuhu Ribadu,NSA
The United States and Nigeria have reviewed progress in addressing Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern, with both countries focusing on the protection of Christian communities, accountability for violence and military upgrade.
The discussions took place during the second session of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group in Washington on August 12, 2026.
The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, hosted the session, which was attended by a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The engagement builds on the progress made during the first session of the Joint Working Group held in Abuja on January 22, 2026.
A Media Note issued by the Office of the Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State, stated that the discussions centred on three priority areas.
These include protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, strengthening judicial and security institutions to hold perpetrators of violence accountable, and deepening military-to-military cooperation.Nigerian news updates.
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Hooker and the Nigerian delegation also reviewed progress on the resettlement of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes, counterterrorism prosecutions and efforts to combat the financing of terrorism.
The Joint Working Group, however, identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in humanitarian expenditure transparency.
The United States noted Nigeria’s reported efforts, including the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa suspects, the expansion of judicial capacity, and the recruitment and training of 50,000 additional police officers.
Both sides acknowledged that more work remains, particularly in supporting internally displaced persons.
The discussions also covered continued cooperation on countering terrorism financing, biometric information sharing to support accountability measures, and law enforcement capacity building through the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and Bureau of Counterterrorism.
The Media Note added that discussions on military-to-military cooperation continued at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Hooker also separately met with Ribadu to further advance bilateral priorities and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with Nigeria to protect Christian communities and deepen joint security cooperation.Nigerian news updates
