Nigeria and the United States launch mechanism to address terrorists’ attacks on Christians
The Joint Working Group (JWG) identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in humanitarian expenditure transparency.
Black News 
The United States has started a process to protect Christians and Churches being targeted by alleged Islamic Terrorists in Nigeria.
The U.S Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker has hosted the second Joint Working Group with a Nigerian delegation.
The delegation was led by Nigerian National Security Advisor Mallam Nuhu Ribadu in Washington on August 12, 2026.
The engagement between the two parties builds on progress made since the first session held in Abuja, Nigeria, on January 22, 2026.
The Second Session of the United States and Nigeria Joint Working Group was held to particularly address the ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ Designation for Nigeria.
Discussions centered on three priority areas including protecting Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, holding perpetrators of violence accountable by strengthening judicial and security institutions, and military-to-military cooperation.
Under Secretary Hooker and the Nigerian delegation reviewed progress on internally displaced persons’ (IDP) resettlement to their ancestral homes, counterterrorism prosecutions, and combating the financing of terrorism.
The Joint Working Group (JWG) identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in humanitarian expenditure transparency.
Discussions on military-to-military cooperation continue today at the Pentagon.
The United States noted Nigeria’s reported efforts to date, including the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State-West Africa (ISIS-WA) suspects, expansion of judicial capacity, and recruitment and training of 50,000 additional police officers.
Both sides acknowledged that more work lies ahead, particularly with supporting intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPs).
The two sides also discussed continued cooperation on countering terrorism financing, biometric information sharing to support accountability measures, and law enforcement capacity building through the Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT).
Under Secretary Hooker separately met with the National Security Advisor (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu to further advance bilateral priorities and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with Nigeria to protect Christian communities and to deepen joint security cooperation.
