Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has described the recent United States (U.S) strikes in Nigeria as a “blessing” for the nation’s security.
Speaking with Fox News during a diplomatic visit to Washington, D.C., the First Lady addressed the ongoing military cooperation between the two nations, emphasizing that the operations against extremist cells represent a turning point in the fight against insurgency in Africa’s largest nation.
She added that the U.S strikes in Nigeria were “a blessing” because they led to her recognition by U.S President Donald Trump. She stated that Nigeria now has the attention of the world after the development.
Asked about the U.S. strikes which followed weeks of tensions between Washington and Abuja, Remi Tinubu, a Nigerian Senator-turned-First Lady said: “It was quite a blessing. You know, whatever is happening. Who would have thought, as you said, that President Trump recognized me?
“Who would have thought that would happen, to even say the least. So, when you look at that, you know, I’m getting global recognition in all of it, and that is what life is all about.
“If something is going to be good, it will come from the rubble.
“We have that attention, we have the conversation going, and we expect that it’s going to yield better fruit for us, and also for America.”
Speaking further, the First Lady revealed that the Nigerian government has been successful in explaining the true reasons behind terrorism to the U.S government.
She added that the administration of her husband, President Bola Tinubu, has also been tackling insecurity in the country.
She continued: “We’ve been able to educate them more about the situation on the ground. We live in Nigeria. We know that this is a democracy, and we are getting close to re-election, and there will be a lot of potholes of the beliefs they want the outside world to believe.
“We’re trying to make sure that we tackle insecurity, and the President has even changed the service chiefs; they’ve replaced them with new ones.
“So we’re looking at reforms. In November, because of what is going on and the world’s concern about Nigerian Christians, the government, my husband, declared a state of emergency on the 26th of November 2025.
“And by that, what did he do? He had to ask the Police Inspector-General to recruit an additional 50,000 police officers, and then the soldiers, 24,000 officers, so that they can help in, you know, to secure the country.
“And not only that, there are 10,000 forest guards who were not carrying arms before they said they should be armed, so that they can secure the forest where all those terrorist groups take hiding.”
This comes after the First Lady had attended the National Prayer Breakfast with Trump on Thursday, where the U.S president praised her.
“We’re honoured to be joined today by the First Lady of Nigeria, who also happens to serve as a Christian pastor at the largest church in Nigeria.
“A very respected woman. First Lady, please, where are you? Thank you very much. It’s a great honour. Thank you very much. Very respected person, too. Thank you,” Trump said as he looked into the crowd.
Recall also that on December 25, 2025, the U.S conducted precision airstrikes targeting Islamic State (ISIS)-linked camps in Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria.
The operation, carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities, involved MQ-9 Reaper drones and other platforms launching GPS-guided munitions against militant sites in the Bauni forest area.
U.S officials described the strikes as a response to threats from ISIS affiliates infiltrating from the Sahel region, with President Donald Trump framing them as a defense against violence primarily targeting Christians.
