The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening military cooperation with the United States, particularly in the fight against terrorism.
Musa made the commitment on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the Commander of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), Major General Matthew Brown, who was on an official working visit to the Ministry of Defence.
The visit focused on reviewing ongoing joint security initiatives and developing a more result-oriented framework for future defence collaboration between both countries.
The minister 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.
Musa 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 increased cooperation.
He said strengthening these areas would enhance Nigeria’s operational capabilities and build greater local capacity to address emerging security threats.
In his remarks, Brown congratulated Nigeria ahead of its Independence Day anniversary and expressed appreciation for the decades-long military-to-military relationship between the two 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 U.S. military activities in Nigeria following the departure of soldiers who formed part of the Combined Special Task Force that operated in the Bauchi area remain temporary and are focused on institutional support and collaboration.
Describing the Nigeria-U.S. defence relationship as strategic and founded on mutual trust, the U.S. commander said his visit was primarily aimed at gaining a direct understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities.
He said the information would help the United States align its support with Nigeria’s needs while strengthening ongoing bilateral intelligence-sharing efforts.
The engagement underscores the continued focus by both countries on strengthening joint efforts against terrorism and other security threats in the region.
