Trump’s letter to Tinubu shows US-Nigeria security cooperation is yielding results — Presidency
The Presidency has described a letter of commendation from United States President Donald Trump to President Bola Tinubu as evidence that Nigeria’s security partnership with the US is producing tangible results.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, made this known during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
Bwala said attention should be directed towards the substance of the letter and the progress achieved through the bilateral partnership rather than the timing of its release.
According to him, the letter demonstrates growing international recognition of the Tinubu administration’s efforts to strengthen security cooperation with the United States.
“The letter was written by the United States government applauding the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for deeper cooperation. Unfortunately, we are not discussing that today. Is it fair to the Nigerian people? Is it fair to the Nigerian people in rural areas who want to know that this country has experienced progress to the point where our collaboration is yielding results?
“The letter is the recognition of the results of the collaboration that has assumed a much deeper and commendable level. The second-in-command in ISIS globally was eliminated in Nigeria because of the joint operation. We eliminated and foiled their attacks because of the joint operation. We have deepened cooperation to the point where we share intelligence, conduct local training and carry out joint operations,” he said.
The presidential aide said the letter reflected the progress recorded in Nigeria’s relationship with the US, adding that similar diplomatic achievements were being made with other countries.
“The letter exemplifies and explains the progress we have made so far with the United States, and we have similar progress with the rest of the world,” he stated.
When asked how President Tinubu interpreted the letter, Bwala said the contents were self-explanatory.
“The facts speak for themselves. The letter is further proof of the progress we are making. Does it mean that if there was no letter we would stop? No, because we are already engaging and communicating with them,” the special adviser noted.
Addressing questions over why the Presidency released the July 6 letter publicly on July 22, Bwala dismissed concerns about the timing, saying the content of the correspondence was more important.
“Is the content of the letter false? You have to concentrate on the essentials in order not to be distracted. The fact right now is that President Trump has written a letter to President Tinubu. The Nigerian people and what impacts them are more important to us than baseless rhetoric,” Bwala said.
He also maintained that Nigerians were “extremely happy” with the administration’s progress in addressing insecurity.
The Presidency had earlier released Trump’s letter dated July 6, 2026, in which the US president praised Tinubu’s “decisive leadership” in tackling terrorism and protecting vulnerable communities, particularly Christians.
Trump also reaffirmed the importance of stronger relations between Nigeria and the United States.
In the letter, he highlighted the growing security partnership between both countries under the 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap, including the deployment of US Special Operations Forces to train Nigerian troops, enhanced intelligence sharing and joint counterterrorism operations against extremist groups.