By Moses Okorie
The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has welcomed the deepening security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.
It specifically hailed the US approval of significant funding for counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria and other African countries under the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh, and Secretary, Danjuma Sada, TSF maintained that it was a vote of confidence in the sincerity of the President Bola Tinubu administration in tackling security issues in the country.
It said: “The allocation of over $413 million (approximately ₦587 billion) for operations under the United States Africa Command reflects a growing acknowledgement that insecurity in West Africa is not a localised challenge, but a shared global threat that demands coordinated international responses.
“While the funding also advances U.S. national security interests, it signals a pragmatic shift from concern to collaboration.
“TSF notes that this renewed cooperation is the product of deliberate and sustained diplomatic engagement by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which ensured that Nigeria’s security realities were properly understood within the broader context of terrorism, transnational criminality, and regional instability—rather than mischaracterised through narrow or simplistic lenses.
“In this regard, the Forum commends the strategic role played by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, whose leadership and disciplined engagement with key American institutions helped recalibrate bilateral discussions from punitive posturing to constructive partnership.
For us, the NSA’s efforts at articulating Nigeria’s security challenges, defending the country’s sovereignty, and promoting cooperation over coercion have yielded measurable outcomes.”
TSF also welcomed the operationalisation of this partnership, including coordinated counter-terrorism actions involving the United States Africa Command and the recent delivery of military equipment to Nigerian security agencies.
“These developments represent tangible support that strengthens Nigeria’s capacity to confront insurgency, banditry, and other violent threats.
“Beyond hardware support, enhanced intelligence sharing and surveillance cooperation—now channelled through the Joint Working Group framework—reflect a deeper level of trust and strategic alignment.
“This cooperation has improved Nigeria’s ability to anticipate threats, disrupt terrorist networks, and protect civilian populations in vulnerable regions.
“We consider these developments a validation of Nigeria’s shuttle diplomacy and its insistence on mutual respect, shared responsibility, and partnership-based engagement.
“It also underscores the importance of integrating African countries into the global architecture for countering terrorism and violent extremism,” it added.
TSF also urged the Nigerian authorities to ensure the sustenance of the security co-operation within a transparent, coordinated, and mutually beneficial framework