ABUJA, Nigeria – United States President Donald Trump commended Nigeria‘s President Bola Tinubu in a letter dated July 6, 2026, for his leadership in tackling terrorism and attacks on Christian communities.
Okay News reports that President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed details of the letter in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
In the letter titled ‘President Trump lauds President Tinubu’s decisive leadership against terrorists’, Trump praised Tinubu’s efforts to address security challenges and reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to support Nigeria.
“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. “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,” he said.
Trump stated that bilateral relations remain essential during a period of security challenges across West Africa.
“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,” Trump said.
The Presidency stated that security cooperation expanded following the establishment of a Joint Working Group co-chaired by the National Security Advisers of both countries. A joint operation on May 16, 2026, against ISIS hideouts in the Lake Chad region resulted in the killing of group leader Abubakar Al-Minoki and several lieutenants.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Frank Garcia, visited Abuja prior to the announcement to meet with senior government officials and pledge expanded bilateral cooperation.
