Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon on November 20 to discuss strengthening cooperation against terrorism and addressing violence targeting Christians in Nigeria.
According to a readout provided by Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs, the meeting brought together senior security leaders from Nigeria and focused on ways to make tangible progress in countering extremist threats across West Africa.
Secretary Hegseth underscored the importance of Nigeria taking urgent and sustained action to halt attacks on Christian communities.
He also conveyed the Department’s commitment to working “by, with, and through” Nigeria to deter and degrade jihadist groups that pose threats both regionally and to the United States.
The discussions mark a continuation of US efforts to deepen security collaboration with Nigeria amid rising concerns over extremist violence in West Africa.
