Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, on Thursday, urged the United States to increase its support for Nigeria through enhanced intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism cooperation, and military capability development.

Matawalle made this appeal during a meeting with Major General Garrick Harmon, Director for Strategy, Engagement, and Programs at the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The meeting, held at Ship House in Abuja, marked Harmon’s first official visit to Nigeria in his current role.

He emphasized the importance of deepening bilateral defence relations and called on the United States to scale up its assistance in key areas such as intelligence cooperation, technical training, logistics, and equipment provision.

“Nigeria is dedicated to promoting regional peace and security; however, we cannot achieve this alone,” Matawalle stated.

“We require more robust support from the United States, particularly in intelligence sharing and capacity building, to effectively combat terrorism, insurgency, and transnational threats,” he emphasized.

In response, Major General Harmon expressed appreciation for the warm welcome and affirmed the U.S. commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s security efforts.

He described the engagements during his visit as productive and reflective of the solid partnership between both countries.

Both parties acknowledged shared strategic interests and agreed on the need for deeper collaboration to confront regional security threats, the statement by the Ministry Director of Information and Public Relations, Patience Ituke reads.