Nigeria and United Kingdom deepen security and defence partnership

Nigeria and the United Kingdom held their fourth Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) Dialogue in Abuja on June 23‑24, 2026, co‑chaired by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and his UK counterpart Jonathan Powell.

The two governments reaffirmed a commitment to expand cooperation across a range of areas: counter‑terrorism, cyber‑resilience, maritime security, intelligence sharing, and the fight against fraud and illicit finance. The United Kingdom announced continued long‑term support for Nigeria’s armed forces, offering joint doctrine, training, technical advice and expertise to counter threats from uncrewed air systems and improvised explosive devices, as well as backing for Nigeria’s Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre.

Both sides pledged to strengthen maritime domain awareness in the Gulf of Guinea, enhance hydrography capabilities, and explore deeper defence trade links. A structured framework will be created for cooperation on cyber threats, misinformation and organised crime. With Nigeria’s national elections approaching, the partners highlighted the need for robust election‑security measures to protect voters and institutions.

The dialogue underscored the broader aim of ensuring regional stability, secure trade routes and coordinated responses to hybrid threats.