News Image


53 minutes ago |


Tinubu Names Ribadu to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to United States Security Working Group President Bola Tinubu has approved the Nigerian delegation to the Nigeria United States Joint Working Group, setting the stage for a fresh security partnership that officials describe as both urgent and strategic. At the centre of the team is the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who has been directed to lead the delegation. Senior government figures named to work alongside him include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard Doro. Also on the list are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. Their selection quietly signals the breadth of Nigeria’s security concerns and the level of coordination the Presidency expects. Secretariat duties were assigned to Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser and Paul Alabi of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington. The Presidency confirmed that the working group will activate agreements reached during recent high level engagements in Washington, where both countries committed to strengthened intelligence cooperation and support for Nigeria’s fight against violent crime and insurgency. In a brief but pointed statement, President Tinubu urged the appointed officials to, in his words, “work assiduously with their United States counterparts to ensure the smooth operationalisation of all agreements across sectors.” The tone from Abuja suggests that the administration views this alliance as a cornerstone of its wider security reforms, and officials close to the process say the coming weeks will determine how swiftly the partnership can be translated from paper to the field.