A high-powered United States (U.S) Congressional delegation has arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, December 7, 2025.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the U.S delegation arrived in Abuja, Nigeria, and was received by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The visit is a follow-up to earlier high-level security consultations in Washington, DC.
The delegation included U.S Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Norma Torres, Scott Franklin, Juan Ciscomani, Riley Moore, and the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills.
According to a statement released by the NSA’s office, the U.S delegation arrived in Nigeria to hold discussions on enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation, addressing regional stability, and advancing the Nigeria-U.S. strategic security partnership.
“I’m optimistic this engagement will deepen trust, collaboration, and our shared commitment to peace and security,” Ribadu was quoted to have said in the statement.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Sunday’s meeting comes weeks after Ribadu led a high-level Nigerian delegation to Washington amid heightened U.S congressional scrutiny and a renewed push after U.S President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged Christian persecution.
During that U.S visit, the Nigerian delegation, which included senior government, security, intelligence, and diplomatic officials, held a series of engagements with key administration figures, including the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth said he discussed “horrific violence against Christians” in Nigeria with the delegation, adding that Washington was working “aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
After the meeting, Nigeria announced that it had reached an agreement with the United States to form a joint security group over concerns about Christian genocide in the country.
This joint security group comes despite several rebuttals from the Nigerian government that there is no Christian genocide in the country.
The Nigerian government announced that the new collaboration is intended to deepen security ties, provide intelligence support, and expedite the transfer of military equipment to assist Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
Days later, President Bola Tinubu officially approved the composition of the team for the U.S.-Nigeria security working group to tackle the nation’s pressing security challenges.
According to a press statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, Ribadu will lead the Nigerian team of the security working group.
Members of the working group, as contained in a statement include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard M. Doro, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Mohammed Mohammed and the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun.
“Ms Idayat Hassan of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Mr Paul Alabi of the Embassy of Nigeria in the US will serve as the secretariat,” the statement added.
Tinubu urged the officials to work closely with their US counterparts to ensure the effective implementation of all security agreements reached during the visit.
