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United States President Donald Trump has praised Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for his leadership in tackling violence and insecurity, particularly attacks on Christian communities, in a personal letter released on Wednesday.
“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities,” Trump wrote in the letter dated July 6.
“It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump said.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.”
The letter, made public by the Nigerian presidency via Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, comes in response to deepening security cooperation between the two countries.
In November 2025, Trump and Tinubu established a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the national security advisers of both nations.
The group has facilitated intelligence sharing, training and joint military operations.
A major operation on May 16 in the Lake Chad region resulted in the killing of senior ISIS commander Abu-Bilal al-Manuki, who Trump has described as “the most active terrorist in the world.”
Trump also said US Special Operations Forces had been deployed to equip Nigerian troops with “the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack.”
“I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency,” Trump said.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Frank Garcia visited Abuja last week to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to the partnership.
STATEHOUSE PRESS STATEMENT
PRESIDENT TRUMP LAUDS PRESIDENT TINUBU’S DECISIVE LEADERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISTS
US President Donald Trump has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his decisive leadership “on behalf of the Nigerian people.”
In a letter to President Tinubu,… pic.twitter.com/DlkQZBw2x8
— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) July 22, 2026
