Nigeria and the United States are set to deepen military cooperation, particularly in counter-terrorism operations, as both countries seek to strengthen joint security efforts.
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The Minister of Defence, Christopher Gwabin Musa, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the partnership on Wednesday in Abuja when he received Major General Matthew Brown, Commander of the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF).
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Brown was in Abuja on an official working visit to the Ministry of Defence to review ongoing joint security initiatives and discuss ways to improve future defence cooperation.
Musa expressed appreciation to the US Government for its continued support of Nigeria’s security efforts.
He said joint operations in the North-East, particularly around the Lake Chad Basin, had contributed to improved troop morale and strengthened ongoing counter-terrorism activities.
The minister identified several areas where both countries could expand their cooperation.
These include specialised joint training for special forces, intelligence sharing and capacity building, improved border surveillance and security, support for counter-improvised explosive device operations and the modernisation of defence infrastructure.
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Musa said strengthening these areas would also help Nigeria develop greater local capacity to respond to security challenges.
Brown congratulated Nigeria ahead of its Independence Day celebrations and acknowledged the longstanding military relationship between the two countries.
He pointed to previous counter-terrorism operations against ISIS-affiliated groups in Africa and commended the troops involved in those engagements.
The US commander also provided clarification on the nature of American military activities in Nigeria following the departure of personnel who were part of the Combined Special Task Force that operated in the Bauchi area.
He explained that US military activities in the region were temporary and centred on institutional support and cooperation with Nigerian security forces.
Brown described the relationship between Nigeria and the US as a strategic partnership based on mutual trust.
He said one of the main objectives of his visit was to gain a clearer understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities so that broader US support could be better aligned with the country’s needs.
He also said the visit would help strengthen existing bilateral intelligence-sharing arrangements and other areas of defence cooperation between both countries.
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