…discussions focused on protecting Christian communities, accountability for perpetrators
…gaps identified in reports of civilian fatalities, transparency surrounding humanitarian expenditure
Chiemelie Eze
The United States and Nigeria have reviewed progress in addressing Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), with discussions focusing on protecting Christian communities, strengthening accountability for perpetrators of violence and deepening military-to-military cooperation.
The second session of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group (JWG) was hosted by the United States Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, in Washington on August 12, 2026, with a Nigerian delegation led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
The development was disclosed in a statement posted by the United States Mission in Nigeria.
The engagement builds on progress made since the first session of the JWG, which was held in Abuja, Nigeria, on January 22, 2026.
Discussions during the latest session centred on three priority areas: protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt; holding perpetrators of violence accountable by strengthening judicial and security institutions; and military-to-military cooperation.
According to the statement, Hooker and the Nigerian delegation reviewed progress on the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes, counterterrorism prosecutions and efforts to combat the financing of terrorism.
The JWG, however, identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in transparency surrounding humanitarian expenditure.
The discussions on military-to-military cooperation continued at the Pentagon on Wednesday.
The United States also noted Nigeria’s reported efforts to date, including the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa (ISIS-WA) suspects, the expansion of judicial capacity, as well as the recruitment and training of 50,000 additional police officers.
Both sides acknowledged that more work remained, particularly in supporting IDPs.
The United States and Nigeria also discussed continued cooperation in countering terrorism financing, biometric information sharing to support accountability measures, and law enforcement capacity building through the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT).
Separately, Hooker met with Ribadu to further advance bilateral priorities and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with Nigeria to protect Christian communities and deepen joint security cooperation.