“…I appreciate your decisive leadership on behalf of the Nigerian people.”
US President Donald Trump has replied to a letter by President Bola Tinubu and pledged the United States’ support for Nigeria’s war on terror.
Mr Trump’s letter to the Nigerian president was shared by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga. The American leader’s first sentence in the letter indicated he was responding to an earlier one by the Nigerian president.
“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,” Mr Trump wrote in the letter dated 6 July.
Nigeria and the US under Mr Trump have improved their relationship after the American president initially accused Nigeria of allowing genocide against Christians and declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern.
Mr Trump has since reduced his rhetoric on Nigeria since the two countries started sharing information and established a military partnership.
Although Mr Onanuga did not release the earlier letter written by President Tinubu, he released a statement based on President Trump’s response.
Read Mr Onanuga’s full statement below.
US President Donald Trump has lauded President Bola Tinubu for his decisive leadership “on behalf of the Nigerian people.”
In a letter to President Tinubu, President Trump applauded President Tinubu’s resolve “to tackle the issues plaguing Nigeria, especially the violence affecting Christian communities.”
According to Mr Trump: “It is a true honour to stand with you in the fight against these terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.”
The US-Nigeria relationship flourished in recent times, with the two sides working closely in key areas, especially in tackling security challenges afflicting parts of Nigeria.
In November last year, President Trump and President Tinubu agreed to establish a Joint Working Group co-headed by the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United States. Through the work of the working group, the two sides agreed on several steps, including training, intelligence sharing, and joint operations to roll back terrorist activities.
A highlight of the collaboration was the 16 May coordinated attack on ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad area, which led to the killing of the group’s top leader, Abubakar Al-Minoki, and many of his lieutenants
Last week, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja, where he held meetings with senior government officials and pledged to strengthen the cooperation between Abuja and Washington DC in security and other areas of collaboration.
Full text of the letter dated July 6, 2026:
Dear Mr President,
“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. I applaud your resolve to tackle the issues plaguing your nation, especially the violence affecting Christian communities and it is a true honor to stand with you in the fight against terrorists and to make the Federal Republic of Nigeria stronger and more prosperous.
“The United States-Nigeria relationship is crucial at a time where 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.
“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.”
Sincerely,
Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
July 22, 2026
