Insecurity: Nigeria, US deepen military ties on counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd.), has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening military relations with the United States, particularly in counter-terrorism operations.

Musa made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving Major General Matthew Brown, Commander of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), who was on an official working visit to the Ministry of Defence.

A statement issued by the minister’s Special Assistant (Media), Leah Katung-Babatunde, said the visit was aimed at reviewing ongoing joint security initiatives and formulating a more result-oriented strategic framework for future defence collaboration.

Musa expressed appreciation to the U.S. government for its sustained partnership, noting that collaborative security operations in the North-East, particularly around the Lake Chad Basin, had significantly boosted troop morale.

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To build on these gains, the minister highlighted key priority areas for enhanced cooperation, including specialised joint training for Special Forces, intelligence sharing and capacity building, enhanced border surveillance and security, counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) support, and the modernisation of defence infrastructure to strengthen local capacity.

In his remarks, Brown extended early Independence Day felicitations to Nigeria and expressed gratitude for the decades-long military-to-military relationship between both countries, which he said continues to advance common security objectives.

He specifically highlighted successful counter-terrorism engagements against ISIS-affiliated groups in Africa and commended the troops involved.

Reaffirming the nature of U.S. engagements in the region following the departure of soldiers who formed part of the Combined Special Task Force that operated in the Bauchi area, Brown emphasised that U.S. military activities in Nigeria are temporary and focused on institutional support and collaboration.

Describing the bilateral relationship as strategic and grounded in mutual trust, Brown said the primary goal of his visit was to gain a direct understanding of Nigeria’s defence priorities, align broader U.S. support and strengthen ongoing bilateral intelligence sharing.

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