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Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Sunday received a high-level delegation from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) at the State House in Abuja, signalling renewed strategic engagement between Nigeria and the United States on defence, intelligence, and regional security cooperation.
The delegation was led by the Commander of United States Africa Command, General Dagvin Anderson, and included senior diplomatic and military officials from the United States. Among them were the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Nigeria, Mr Keith Heffern; AFRICOM’s Senior Foreign Policy Adviser, Ambassador Peter Vrooman; and Command Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield, the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of AFRICOM.
President Tinubu was joined by top figures in Nigeria’s defence and intelligence architecture. Present at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu; the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Uandiandeye; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi.
Although details of the discussions were not disclosed, the composition of both delegations underscored the seriousness of the engagement. The presence of Nigeria’s entire top security and intelligence leadership, alongside AFRICOM’s command structure, indicated discussions focused on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, military training, and broader regional stability in West Africa.
The meeting comes at a time when Nigeria continues to confront complex security threats, including terrorism, banditry, and transnational crime, which have implications beyond its borders. Cooperation with AFRICOM has historically involved training, logistics support, intelligence collaboration, and joint strategic planning.
Sunday’s engagement at the State House reaffirmed the importance both countries place on sustained military and diplomatic coordination, particularly as security challenges in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions continue to evolve.
