United States President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as his decisive leadership in tackling terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.
Trump conveyed the commendation in a letter dated July 6, 2026, addressed to Tinubu. Details of the correspondence were made public on Wednesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter titled “President Trump Lauds President Tinubu’s Decisive Leadership Against Terrorists,” the US president applauded Tinubu’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and reaffirmed Washington’s support for the country’s counterterrorism efforts.
“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.
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“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 Nigeria-United States relationship as increasingly important amid growing security threats across West Africa and other parts of the world.
“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,” he stated.
The US president also highlighted the expanding military partnership between both countries, revealing that American Special Operations Forces have been deployed to support Nigeria’s armed forces through training, intelligence sharing and capacity building.
“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,” Trump added.
According to the Presidency, Nigeria and the United States have significantly strengthened security cooperation in recent months through a Joint Working Group jointly led by the National Security Advisers of both countries.
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The collaboration focuses on intelligence sharing, specialised military training and coordinated operations against terrorist groups operating across the region.
The Presidency cited the May 16 joint operation against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region, which reportedly led to the killing of the group’s top commander, Abubakar Al-Minoki, along with several of his key lieutenants.
It also disclosed that US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he met senior Nigerian government officials and pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation on security and other strategic issues.
Trump’s letter comes as both countries continue to expand defence and intelligence cooperation under the US-Nigeria 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap, amid ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism across Nigeria and the wider West African region.
