November 27, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
President Bola Tinubu has approved the composition of the Nigerian delegation to the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, a bilateral platform created to strengthen collaboration on security and related strategic priorities.
The approval formalises Nigeria’s participation in the Working Group, which was one of the key outcomes of the recent high-level engagement in Washington, D.C., led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu. The visit focused on expanding cooperation between both countries in tackling terrorism, illicit arms flow, transnational crime, intelligence sharing, and defence modernisation.
Ribadu will lead the Nigerian side of the Working Group, supported by a multi-agency team drawn from the country’s security and foreign policy architecture.
The members include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro; Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed; and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Others are Ms. Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Mr. Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., who will serve as the secretariat of the Working Group.
The team is expected to interface directly with US counterparts to drive the operationalisation of security agreements, coordinate ongoing initiatives, and build frameworks for future cooperation across defence, intelligence, counterterrorism, and humanitarian response.
President Tinubu urged the members to work diligently to ensure full implementation of all commitments reached between both governments, emphasising the importance of sustained collaboration in addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.
