US-Nigeria Partnership Remains Robust Through Successive Administrations, Dare Highlights.
US-Nigeria Partnership Remains Robust Through Successive Administrations, Dare Highlights.
Nigeria’s long-standing relationship with the United States remains valuable and strong, and it is essential to deepen this partnership under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, according to Sunday Dare, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications. Dare emphasized that the ties between Nigeria and the US are “treasured, warm, and robust,” highlighting the importance of renewed engagement amid evolving global and regional security challenges.
Dare, speaking to Newsmax TV in Washington, DC, asserted that Nigeria remains a committed partner to the US. He pointed out that President Tinubu, who studied in Chicago and worked at a leading American accounting firm, is well-versed in US policies related to development, peace, and security. This familiarity reinforces Nigeria’s strong diplomatic ties with America.
The spokesperson also addressed concerns about religious conflicts in Nigeria, firmly rejecting claims that the country is experiencing a religious war or that Christians are being targeted by the state. Dare clarified that such narratives misrepresent the realities on the ground. He explained that violence is primarily perpetrated by extremist groups like Boko Haram and its splinter factions, such as ISWAP, along with banditry and kidnapping. These groups are driven more by transnational influences than religious motives.
Dare highlighted regional factors fueling violence, including instability in the Sahel, Libya’s collapse, arms smuggling across porous borders, and ungoverned spaces exploited by terrorist networks. He called for a stronger American media and diplomatic presence in Nigeria, suggesting that reopening the Voice of America office in Abuja would provide real-time, comprehensive reporting, helping Washington better understand Nigeria’s complex situation.
He also noted that US-Nigeria relations have remained strong through different administrations, including Donald Trump’s. Historically, the US supported Nigeria during ECOMOG interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Since Nigeria’s return to democracy 27 years ago, the relationship has been mutually beneficial, strengthened by shared democratic values, trade, energy cooperation, and contributions of Nigerians in the US.
Dare concluded that as global instability rises, both nations must reinvigorate their engagement, maintain open communication, and build on decades of shared interests, values, and cooperation.
