US President Trump praises Nigerian President Tinubu’s anti‑terrorism leadership

The United States President Donald Trump sent a letter to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on 6 July 2026 commending his “decisive leadership” against terrorism and the violence targeting Christian communities. The correspondence, released by the Nigerian presidency on 22 July, says it is “a true honour to stand with you in the fight against terrorists” and affirms that the United States‑Nigeria relationship is “crucial” as conflict spreads across West Africa.

The letter references the 2026 US‑Nigeria Defence Cooperation Roadmap, the deployment of U.S. Special Operations Forces to train Nigerian troops, and a joint working group that shares intelligence, conducts joint operations and has recently helped eliminate senior ISIS commanders in the Lake Chad area. The message marks a warming of ties after earlier U.S. warnings that Nigeria was not protecting its Christian population.

Senate Republican Ted Cruz has separately accused the Tinubu administration of hiring U.S. lobbyists instead of addressing reports of violence against Christians, underscoring ongoing U.S. congressional scrutiny of Nigeria’s human‑rights record. Nonetheless, the core of the story centres on the diplomatic letter and expanded security partnership between the two nations.