The Federal Government has said the recent letter from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu is an international acknowledgement of Nigeria’s progress in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the remarks during a live television interview on Wednesday in Abuja, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa.
Enikanolaiye said the letter was a recognition of the achievements recorded by the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies in tackling insecurity, while also signalling stronger cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
“The letter we just got is in recognition of the giant strides we have made in tackling the menace of terrorism and insurgency in our country,” he said.
He added, “It is in recognition of the gallant efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces together with other security agencies handling the situation. This is not just a letter of commendation. It is a commitment to stand with Nigeria. It means our men and women in uniform will now have more skills, tools, and intelligence to protect our homeland and secure our citizens, especially communities that have been under attack.”
The minister said Nigeria had recorded significant successes in recent weeks through improved security operations, including the prosecution and conviction of terrorists and bandits, the neutralisation of criminal elements, and the disruption of their communication networks.
He also cited the recent rescue of abducted children in Oyo State as evidence of the gains being made through enhanced security collaboration.
According to him, closer cooperation with the United States has strengthened intelligence sharing, training, capacity building and the provision of security equipment.
“What has happened is that we have had greater collaboration with the U.S. We have had greater exchange of intelligence. We have greater involvement in terms of training and capacity building, including equipment supplies. All of these, particularly the political will that Mr. President has demonstrated, led to these significant successes that we have recorded,” Enikanolaiye said.
He added that President Trump was “simply acknowledging this and encouraging us to do more.”
Speaking on future areas of engagement, the minister said Nigeria was seeking to deepen cooperation with the U.S. in intelligence gathering, equipment acquisition, modern technology, training and capacity building.
He said the existing Joint Working Group on Nigeria as a Country of Concern, chaired by the National Security Adviser, provides a diplomatic framework for dialogue and collaboration between both countries.
“The idea is to provide a framework for diplomacy, for negotiation, to intensify our quest for intelligence, our quest for equipment supplies, platforms, our quest for the use of modern technology that will assist us, our quest for capacity building and training. Those are the areas in which America has partnered with us and we look forward to intensifying this partnership,” he said.
Describing the development as the beginning of a stronger bilateral relationship, Enikanolaiye said, “We are in a new era of partnership, a partnership that addresses the essential concerns of Nigerians in terms of security, in terms of terrorism and all of those. That is the basis of this engagement with the United States.”
The minister disclosed that Trump’s correspondence also acknowledged earlier communications initiated by President Tinubu following engagements between both leaders over the past two years.
He assured Nigerians that the security improvements would become increasingly visible in the coming months.
“We need to see, you are going to see more arrests and prosecution. We are going to see more of the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces and security agencies to disrupt operations, to deal more decisively with the terrorists and bandits,” he said.
He added that the government was also focused on restoring public confidence by demonstrating that security was improving across the country.
On the administration’s foreign policy direction, Enikanolaiye said the Tinubu government’s 4D Foreign Policy doctrine—Demography, Democracy, Development and Diaspora—places the welfare and security of Nigerians at its core.
“Nigerian people, in terms of their security, are defined as human security that addresses all their concerns. And to the fact that whatever we do in foreign policy addresses the concerns of Nigerians. Do not forget, the primary duty of government is the promotion of welfare, security and protection of Nigeria,” he said.
The Federal Government said the letter from the U.S. president reinforces Nigeria’s growing defence partnership with the United States and reflects international confidence in the country’s efforts to combat terrorism while advancing security, economic growth and development.
It also reiterated its commitment to protecting all Nigerians regardless of religion or region and ensuring a safer and more prosperous country.
