By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Nigeria and the United States are stepping up efforts to hold perpetrators of violence accountable, with both countries reviewing counterterrorism prosecutions and the capacity of judicial and security institutions.
The discussions formed part of the second Nigeria–US Joint Working Group, JWG, meeting hosted by the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb.Sola Enikanolaiye, were part of the Nigerian delegation to discuss the next phase of security collaboration between both countries.
The Nigerian delegation was led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, while the talks focused on protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, strengthening judicial and security institutions, and deepening military-to-military cooperation.
The two sides also reviewed progress on the resettlement of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes, counterterrorism prosecutions and efforts to combat the financing of terrorism, according to a statement by the US Department of States.
The meeting was built on progress made since the first Joint Working Group session held in Abuja on January 22, 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement emailed to PersecondNews by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa Imomotimi, on Thursday evening.
The discussions identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in humanitarian expenditure transparency, while both sides acknowledged that more work remained, particularly in supporting internally displaced persons.
The United States noted Nigeria’s reported efforts, including the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa, (ISIS-WA), suspects, expansion of judicial capacity and the recruitment and training of 50,000 additional police officers.
Both countries also discussed continued cooperation on countering terrorism financing, biometric information sharing to support accountability measures and law-enforcement capacity building.
Meanwhile, Under Secretary Hooker separately 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.
Discussions on military-to-military cooperation are continuing at the Pentagon as part of the broader engagement.
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