It’s Honour To Stand With You To Fight Terrorists, Make Nigeria Stronger— Trump Tells Tinubu
United States President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as decisive leadership in Nigeria's fight against terrorism, pledging continued American support to strengthen the country's security and make it "stronger and more prosperous."
Trump made the remarks in a letter dated July 6, 2026, addressed to Tinubu, the details of which were disclosed on Wednesday by the Presidency in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In the letter titled "President Trump Lauds President Tinubu's Decisive Leadership Against Terrorists," the US President commended Tinubu's efforts to tackle insecurity, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities, while reaffirming Washington's commitment to partnering Nigeria in combating terrorism.
"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," Trump wrote.
He added, "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 described the Nigeria-United States relationship as increasingly significant amid growing security threats across West Africa, saying both countries share a common objective of defeating terrorism.
According to him, the 2026 US-Nigeria Defence Cooperation Roadmap has provided a strong framework for expanding security collaboration between both nations.
"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 disclosed that Washington had deployed its Special Operations Forces to support Nigeria's Armed Forces through training, intelligence and operational assistance.
"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.
The Presidency said security ties between Nigeria and the United States have deepened in recent months following the establishment of a Joint Working Group jointly led by the National Security Advisers of both countries.
According to the statement, the partnership has centred on intelligence sharing, military training and coordinated operations against terrorist organisations.
It cited the May 16 joint operation against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region as one of the major outcomes of the collaboration, noting that the mission reportedly eliminated the group's top commander, Abubakar Al-Minoki, alongside several of his lieutenants.
The Presidency further disclosed that the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja last week, where he held talks with senior Nigerian officials and pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation on security and other strategic areas.