As extremists adapt and misinformation spreads, Nigeria asks its allies in Washington D.C. to stand with it to deliver the tools needed to win in a shared fight for peace.
In conversations held with Nigerian political leadership, they have asked their distinguished Western partners (i.e., us) in the global fight against terrorism to embolden the resilient people of their great nation.
Nigeria has reaffirmed its resolve and is steadfast in its commitment as a sacred duty to safeguard its own sovereignty and protect the lives of every Nigerian.
Yet the security landscape in their country remains a battleground where the shadows of extremism, embodied by Boko Haram, ISWAP and their affiliates, seek to undermine efforts to protect their citizens and their progress.
These groups are no longer local militias; Boko Haram has become populated by battle-hardened fighters displaced from multiple crisis zones across the Sahel, while ISWAP, devastating the Northeast, is an offshoot of ISIS, the same global terror network the United States has fought in Syria and other contiguous theaters.
The marauders that roam the North Central States and bandits that terrorize the Northwest States are not too different from the extremists that have been waging guerrilla warfare against the state in the North East. Nigeria suffers from criminality and insurgency, but frankly, not targeted genocide against a particular creed, religion or tribe.
The United States has been Nigeria’s strong Ally. In 2015, US Special Forces trained Nigeria’s Navy Seals on how to defeat Boko Haram. This was at the height of the Chibok girls kidnapping. Similar strategic partnerships and training are still undergoing between the US and Nigeria and these must be strengthened.
It then goes without saying that the threat we face today is therefore not a regional aberration; it is part of a global continuum of violent extremism.
Just as America was attacked on 9/11 by those who despised its values, Nigeria has, for over a decade, endured relentless assaults from the same ideology of hate. This is a common enemy, and the only ones laughing at the growing mischaracterization of Nigeria by some U.S. commentators are the sponsors and beneficiaries of Boko Haram and ISWAP themselves.
We together face a ruthless enemy that preys on the vulnerable, sows discord, and threatens the very fabric of democracy itself, in Nigeria and everywhere. Their Armed Forces stand as a shield, but not an impenetrable one; yet one determined to eliminate these terrorists and dismantle their capacity to terrorize the Nigerian people.
Over the past decade, Nigerian forces have quietly reclaimed over 90 percent of previously occupied territories through operations such as Lafiya Dole, Tura Taka, and Hadin Kai. Thousands of insurgents have been neutralized; countless hostages rescued.
Moreover, intelligence-led strikes, community engagement, and cooperation under the Lake Chad Basin Commission have degraded terrorist networks and disrupted their supply lines.
These achievements are not abstractions; they are bought with the courage and blood of Nigerians defending humanity’s shared security.
Recent airstrikes and coordinated ground offensives have dismantled major terrorist enclaves in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States. In partnership with the U.S., Nigerians are leveraging advanced surveillance, cyber-warfare tools, and kinetic operations to cripple terrorist financing and prevent the re-emergence of safe havens.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a comprehensive realignment of our Service Chiefs, bringing in fresh leadership with specialized expertise in asymmetric warfare, logistics, and joint operations.
This restructuring is not cosmetic - it reflects a deliberate recalibration to enhance innovation, accountability, and synergy across the Services.
Still, they recognize that Nigeria cannot, and should not, fight this war alone.
The partnership between Abuja and Washington has been vital, from joint training to intelligence sharing. But the urgency of Nigeria's situation demands more tangible support.
They have called on the United States government to expedite the delivery of critical equipment, surveillance drones, armored vehicles, precision-guided munitions, and, indeed the additional A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, which has already been procured and fully paid for under their defense cooperation agreement.
This is not a plea for charity; it is an appeal for partnership in a shared cause. American ingenuity and Nigerian determination can together deliver a decisive victory against global terrorism.
Equally, the dangerous misinformation being amplified abroad must be countered. Recent commentaries by U.S. lawmakers and advocacy groups paint Nigeria as a place of Christian persecution or state-sponsored indifference.
This is not true. These narratives are misleading and corrosive.
Nigeria’s violence is not theological; it is the product of resource competition, desertification, and population pressure, factors that extremists exploit to mask their political ambitions under the cloak of faith.
Nigeria's President is Muslim; his wife is a Christian.
Nigeria’s cabinet and key Government appointees are religiously balanced. Christians occupy senior positions across the military, judiciary, and civil service.
Nigeria bleeds from both sides of her faith. Its leadership knows that every life lost, Christian, Muslim, or otherwise, is a loss to one Nigerian family or another.
President Tinubu has shown strong leadership on the economic and security fronts. Unlike some of the country's past leaders who hid behind excuses, President Tinubu has faced the security challenge head-on, strengthening inter-agency coordination, military command and intelligence structure by deploying modern technology and platforms, while tackling the economic roots of insecurity through bold reforms, empowering local security initiatives, and restoring morale in their Armed Forces.
But no government can eliminate terrorism outright and standalone. Progress under the Tinubu administration is real and measurable. The administration needs more support and stands ready to work with the United States.
Because when terrorists strike in Baga or Maiduguri, the reverberations are felt far beyond our borders. The threat that confronts Nigeria today is the same ideology that once struck New York and it will keep spreading if the world treats Nigeria’s battle as a distant war.
Their message is simple: "Stand with us, equip us, and fight with us".
The line between Maiduguri and Manhattan is thinner than many believe. We face the same enemies, we share the same fight, and the consequences of failing to act together are catastrophic.
The time for mischaracterization has passed; the time for unity, decisive action and truth is now.
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