TSF lauds Tinubu, Ribadu over U.S. – Nigeria Security Partnership

TSF lauds Tinubu, Ribadu over U.S. – Nigeria Security Partnership

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for what it described as strategic leadership that has strengthened security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

The forum, in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh, and Secretary, Danjuma Sada, said the deepening partnership was reflected in the recent approval by the United States of significant funding for counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria and other African countries under the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026.

According to TSF, the allocation of over $413 million (about N587 billion) for operations under the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) represents a vote of confidence in the Tinubu administration’s sincerity and capacity to confront insecurity in the country.

“The allocation reflects a growing acknowledgement that insecurity in West Africa is not a localised challenge, but a shared global threat that requires coordinated international responses,” the forum said, adding that the funding also signalled a shift from expressions of concern to practical collaboration.

TSF noted that the renewed cooperation was the outcome of deliberate and sustained diplomatic engagement by the Tinubu administration, which ensured that Nigeria’s security realities were properly situated within the broader context of terrorism, transnational criminality and regional instability.

In this regard, the forum specifically praised the role of the NSA, saying Ribadu’s disciplined engagement with key American institutions helped to recalibrate bilateral relations from what it described as “punitive posturing” to constructive partnership.

“For us, the NSA’s efforts at articulating Nigeria’s security challenges, defending the country’s sovereignty and promoting cooperation over coercion have yielded measurable outcomes,” the statement added.

The forum also welcomed the operationalisation of the partnership, including coordinated counter-terrorism actions involving AFRICOM and the recent delivery of military equipment to Nigerian security agencies, describing them as tangible support that strengthens Nigeria’s capacity to confront insurgency, banditry and other violent threats.

Beyond hardware support, TSF said enhanced intelligence sharing and surveillance cooperation, now channelled through a Joint Working Group framework, reflected a deeper level of trust and strategic alignment between both countries.

According to the forum, the collaboration has improved Nigeria’s ability to anticipate security threats, disrupt terrorist networks and protect civilian populations in vulnerable regions.

It described the developments as a validation of Nigeria’s shuttle diplomacy and its insistence on mutual respect, shared responsibility and partnership-based engagement, stressing the importance of integrating African countries into the global architecture for countering terrorism and violent extremism.

TSF, however, urged Nigerian authorities to ensure that the security cooperation is sustained within a transparent, coordinated and mutually beneficial framework, in line with national interests and regional stability.