The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Sunday Dare, has emphasised that Nigeria’s battle against terrorism cannot be fought in isolation, urging stronger international collaboration to confront the escalating threat.
His remarks follow heightened concern over the recent abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, and renewed attacks by extremist groups across the country.
In a tweet on Wednesday, Dare revealed the importance of strategic partnerships, particularly with the United States, in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts. “Nigeria does not pretend it can win this war alone, nor should it have to. The strategic partnership between Nigeria and the United States has been invaluable,” he wrote.
He recalled the role of American special forces in training Nigerian naval units during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency, including after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirl abduction. “Training, intelligence cooperation, and joint exercises continue today. However, they are not enough to match the scale of the threat,” Dare added.
His comments come amid growing international scrutiny of Nigeria’s handling of terrorism. In October, U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations, warning of an “existential threat” to Christianity and threatening to halt aid or intervene militarily if Nigeria failed to act decisively.
President Bola Tinubu has since rejected Trump’s claims as misleading, arguing that violence in the north-central region stems from complex conflicts involving herder-farmer disputes, banditry, and extremist attacks targeting both Muslims and Christians. He nonetheless welcomed collaborative counter-terrorism initiatives that respect Nigeria’s sovereignty.
