The United States has indicated that significant obstacles remain before Nigeria can be removed from its Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, despite Abuja’s recent prosecution of hundreds of terror suspects and the addition of 50,000 new police personnel. American officials expressed concerns regarding the insufficient progress in assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the increasing number of civilian deaths resulting from terrorist activities.
These points were raised following the second US-Nigeria Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in Washington, which assessed counterterrorism developments since the initial session in Abuja in early 2026. Discussions focused on protecting Middle Belt Christian communities, enhancing judicial accountability, and strengthening military cooperation. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker hosted the Nigerian delegation, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, while Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasized that the talks aimed to bolster bilateral defense and intelligence efforts.
However, the lobbying firm Von Batten-Montague-York LC, which represents former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, dismissed the summit as unproductive. The firm argued that the meeting failed to reach a high-level political breakthrough and criticized the delegation’s protocol, suggesting the level of representation signaled a lack of formal endorsement from the Trump administration for President Bola Tinubu. The firm further claimed that Washington remains unwilling to support the current Nigerian president amid long-standing allegations regarding his past.
