Breaking: Ribadu Leads Nigeria’s US Counterterrorism Delegation, Photos and Full List Emerge
- Nigeria on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, sent a high-powered delegation, including six ministers, to meet with a US team led by the Under Secretary of State
- The bilateral working group was set up after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern
- A formal bilateral defence meeting between both countries is scheduled to be held on Thursday, August 13, 2026
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security matters and counter-insurgency in Nigeria and Africa.
Washington DC, USA - Nigeria and the United States (US) have held talks focused on counterterrorism measures, with a bilateral defence meeting scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2026, as both countries work through issues arising from Nigeria's controversial redesignation by Washington.
Legit.ng reports that the Nigerian delegation that attended the meeting included Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Defence Christopher Musa, Minister of Finance Taiwo Oyedele, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye.
Source: Twitter
Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede and Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, also formed part of the delegation.
Nigeria, US tackle religious freedom concerns
The bilateral working group was established following US President Donald Trump's decision to redesignate Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" (CPC), a classification that signals serious US concerns about the treatment of religious freedom in a given country.
The group serves as the primary forum through which both governments are managing the diplomatic and security dimensions of that decision.
Nigeria, US deepen counterterrorism cooperation talks
Discussions between the two delegations are centred on counterterrorism cooperation, the progress made so far, and the next steps both countries intend to take.
The defence meeting scheduled for Thursday is expected to deepen those conversations at a military level, with senior defence officials from both sides participating.
The composition of Nigeria's delegation reflects the breadth of issues on the table, spanning diplomacy, security, finance, and legal affairs, indicating that the engagements go beyond counterterrorism alone and touch on the wider relationship between Abuja and Washington.
The full list of members of the Nigerian delegation includes:
- NSA Nuhu Ribadu
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu
- Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa
- Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele
- Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
- Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi
- Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye
- Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede
View a photo post on X about the Nigerian delegation’s visit to the US below:
Ribadu, US envoy meet in Abuja
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that NSA Ribadu hosted a senior United States diplomatic team in Abuja, with newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia.
Garcia led the delegation on his first official engagement in Nigeria since taking office.
Garcia assumed his role on June 1, 2026, ending a vacancy that had stretched for more than a year in the Africa portfolio, during which the position had been occupied by a series of acting officials.
Source: Legit.ng
