President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of Nigeria’s delegation to the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, a strategic body expected to strengthen cooperation between both countries in addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
The announcement, made on Thursday in a statement by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, follows last week’s high-level security consultations in Washington, D.C.
The Nigerian delegation to the talks, led by National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, secured a pact with American officials to set up the Joint Working Group as a platform for operational coordination and intelligence-driven collaboration.
Ribadu would head the Nigerian contingent on the Working Group, supported by a broad team of senior officials from key ministries, security institutions, and diplomatic posts.
Members of the Nigerian delegation include:
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar
Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr. Bernard M. Doro
Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed
Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun
Ms. Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser and Mr. Paul Alabi of the Nigerian Embassy in the United States have been appointed to serve as the secretariat of the group.
President Tinubu charged the team to collaborate closely with their American counterparts to ensure that the agreements reached are implemented effectively across all relevant sectors, noting that improved coordination will be vital to enhancing national security efforts.
