E247mag reports: A State House statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, November 27, 2025, confirmed that National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu will lead Nigeria’s contingent to the newly created US–Nigeria Joint Security Working Group.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the composition of the delegation as part of a renewed push to strengthen defence and intelligence cooperation with the United States. The working group is expected to coordinate both nations’ approaches to shared security concerns and drive a more structured partnership.
Alongside Ribadu, the President selected key members of his security and diplomatic cabinet—figures whose portfolios place them at the heart of Nigeria’s internal and external security operations. They include Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Bernard M. Doro, also joins the team, reflecting the administration’s intention to align humanitarian response with national security strategies.
To ensure effective coordination, the secretariat will be jointly managed by Idayat Hassan from the Office of the National Security Adviser and Paul Alabi of the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., who will oversee communication and implementation between both countries.
Senior security chiefs were likewise incorporated into the delegation. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, will provide the technical backbone for Nigeria’s engagement with the United States. Their inclusion is expected to enhance the operational depth of discussions within the working group.