Keypoints:
- US acknowledges Nigerian security progress
- Washington identifies unresolved protection gaps
- CPC talks widen into defence cooperation
THE United States has acknowledged progress by Nigeria on counterterrorism and security reforms while highlighting continuing shortcomings as senior officials from both countries held a second round of talks in Washington over Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern designation.
The August 12 meeting shows that the dispute over religious freedom is developing into a broader negotiation covering civilian protection, prosecutions, intelligence sharing, policing and defence cooperation. Neither government, however, announced any change to Nigeria’s CPC status or indicated that its removal from the designation was imminent.
Washington identifies unresolved gaps
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker hosted the second session of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, with Nigeria’s delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
According to the US State Department, discussions focused on protecting Christian communities, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, strengthening judicial and security institutions to hold perpetrators accountable and expanding military-to-military cooperation.
Washington also cited continuing challenges, including civilian deaths, transparency surrounding humanitarian expenditure and the need for greater assistance to internally displaced people.
The talks additionally covered terrorism financing, biometric information sharing and law-enforcement capacity building.
Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry presented the meeting in broader security terms, saying discussions included counterterrorism cooperation, intelligence coordination, protection of vulnerable communities, the safe return of displaced people, border controls and a strategic review of the bilateral defence roadmap.
Abuja points to security progress
The State Department acknowledged what it described as Nigeria’s reported security efforts, including prosecutions involving hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa suspects and expanded judicial capacity.
Washington also cited Nigeria’s reported progress towards recruiting and training 50,000 additional police officers.
That distinction is important because the police expansion remains an ongoing programme rather than evidence that all 50,000 personnel have already completed recruitment and training.
The discussions come as security ties between the two countries deepen. Africa Briefing has reported that Nigeria approved US drone deployments to strengthen intelligence gathering, reflecting Washington’s growing emphasis on surveillance and intelligence-led counterterrorism cooperation.
CPC designation remains in force
President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern on October 31, 2025, under the US International Religious Freedom Act.
The designation placed renewed diplomatic pressure on Abuja over allegations that authorities had failed adequately to confront severe violations of religious freedom.
But the second working-group meeting indicates that Washington is increasingly linking its religious-freedom concerns to measurable issues including prosecutions, civilian protection, policing and institutional accountability.
In practice, the working group is beginning to resemble a scorecard of Nigeria’s wider security response, although Washington has not formally presented the discussions as a set of conditions for removing the CPC designation.
Defence ties raise the stakes
The pressure is unfolding alongside deeper military cooperation.
Africa Briefing has previously reported that Washington supplied military equipment to Nigeria as both governments strengthened counterterrorism cooperation.
The relationship has also shifted towards intelligence-led operations following the withdrawal of US personnel involved in an earlier anti-ISIS operation.
For Abuja, the challenge is to deepen that security partnership while seeking relief from a designation carrying diplomatic and reputational consequences.
For Washington, the CPC designation provides significant diplomatic leverage as it presses Nigeria for stronger civilian protection, credible prosecutions and institutional accountability.
The next phase of negotiations is therefore likely to be judged less by diplomatic statements than by evidence of security improvements on the ground.
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