United States President Donald Trump has commended President Bola Tinubu for what he described as decisive leadership in tackling terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.
The commendation was contained in a letter dated July 6, 2026, released on Wednesday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter, Trump praised Tinubu’s efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting the country’s counterterrorism campaign.
“Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Your kind words mean a great deal to me, and I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.
“I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities, and it is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous,” Trump wrote.
Trump described the partnership between the United States and Nigeria as increasingly important amid growing security threats across West Africa.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time when conflict has spread across West Africa and around the world. We both share a mutual goal of confronting terrorism in all its forms, and our historic US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap has established a robust framework to accomplish this feat.”
The US president also highlighted ongoing defence collaboration, revealing that American Special Operations Forces have been deployed to support the Nigerian Armed Forces with training, intelligence and operational capacity.
“I am proud to have deployed the United States Special Operations Forces—among the most elite military units anywhere in the world—to equip the brave men and women in the Armed Forces of Nigeria with the skills, tools and intelligence they need to protect your homeland and ensure the safety and security of citizens, particularly those of faith who have been under attack.
“I look forward to our continued discussions over the course of my Presidency.”
According to the Presidency, security cooperation between both countries has expanded in recent months through a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States.
The partnership has focused on intelligence sharing, military training and coordinated operations against terrorist groups.
The Presidency said one of the major outcomes of the collaboration was the May 16 operation targeting ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region, which reportedly led to the death of the group’s leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, along with several of his lieutenants.
It also disclosed that US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with Nigeria in security and other strategic areas.
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