The Integrity Youth Alliance has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, and other top security officials to the newly formed United States–Nigeria Joint Working Group on Security Cooperation.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Kelvin Adegbenga, the group described the appointees as “round pegs in round holes”, noting that their selection reflects the administration’s renewed commitment to tackling insecurity through strengthened international collaboration.
The Alliance recalled that the Joint Working Group emerged from a high-level engagement in Washington on 19 November, where a Nigerian delegation led by Ribadu met with US officials. Both countries agreed to establish a working group to enhance coordination, intelligence sharing, and cooperation on critical security issues.
According to the statement, the formation of the Joint Working Group marks a significant step toward deepening bilateral efforts aimed at addressing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, transnational crime, and other emerging threats confronting Nigeria.
The group noted that the officials appointed are already central figures in the nation’s security architecture, covering defence cooperation, intelligence operations, internal security management, humanitarian response, and inter-agency coordination. Their inclusion, it added, underscores the government’s focus on deploying seasoned professionals to drive security reforms.
The Integrity Youth Alliance urged the Nigerian team to collaborate effectively with their US counterparts to ensure full implementation of agreements reached during the Washington meetings.
“The momentum from the strategic discussions in Washington must translate into actionable programmes and sustained collaboration,” the group said.
The Alliance expressed optimism that the Joint Working Group will strengthen intelligence sharing, strategic planning, counter-terrorism efforts, military cooperation, and other initiatives designed to enhance Nigeria’s internal security landscape.
