Under the Donald Trump administration, Nigeria’s relationship with the US has gone downhill. The imposition of tariffs earlier in the year, alongside the reduction of visa validity for Nigerian applicants in July, raised concerns about relations between the countries.
In July, Mr Trump met with five West African Presidents— those of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal—at the White House. The Nigerian President was not invited.
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Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, suggested that the Trump administration’s hostility towards Nigeria was because the West African country resisted the pressure by the US to accept Venezuelan deportees.
The minister linked the country’s refusal to accept the deportees to the 10 per cent tariff imposed on the country. In his remark on this matter, Mr Tuggar said, “We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria for crying out loud. We have enough problems of our own.”
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Mr Trump’s recent comments about the West African nation have further heightened tensions between the two countries.
The US President, in late October, declared Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over allegations of Christian genocide. Days later, he described Nigeria as a “disgraceful” country and threatened to take military action should the government continue to “allow killing of Christians.”
Although Nigeria denied the allegations multiple times, Mr Trump insisted on them, noting that US military action against Nigeria would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.” Christianity, Mr Trump declared, was suffering from an existential threat in Nigeria.
Observers reviewing Mr Trump’s remarks might consider Nigeria’s relationship with the US as hostile. However, outside of the American president’s statements and actions, several US departments and agencies continue to maintain cordial relationships with the Nigerian government.
Law-enforcement cooperation
Nigeria and the US have a longstanding cooperation on law enforcement, which continues to date.
Both countries have conducted joint cybercrime investigations, intelligence sharing, and joint operations at the agency-to-agency level. This is often between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). In these cases, the FBI applauds or acknowledges the Nigerian agency’s role in the success of this operation.
For instance, in November, days after Mr Trump’s commentary on Nigeria, the US Department of Justice recognised the support of Nigeria’s Attorney General, the Nigerian Ministry of Justice’s international cooperation unit, and the EFCC in securing the arrests and extradition of Imoleayo Aina for fraud.
The 27-year-old Nigerian was arrested in Nigeria and extradited to the US, where he was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a sexual extortion scheme.
Earlier in the year, Nigeria arrested and extradited Victor Chukwuemeka to the US to face hacking, fraud, and identity theft charges.
In April, both the EFCC and the FBI collaborated to investigate and arrest 22 cyber fraudsters in Nigeria who sexually blackmailed and extorted US minors.
The arrest was through “Operation Artemis,” an international operation launched in 2023 to fight the growing threat of sextortion among Nigerian-based sextortion rings.
Nigeria had also extradited Ehis Lawrence Akhimie just a month earlier.
The 41-year-old Nigerian national was accused of operating an inheritance fraud scheme targeting elderly US citizens.
Commercial relations
Economic and commercial relations have also existed and largely continued between Nigeria and the US. For instance, in late September, just a few days before Mr Trump announced the CPC designation, the US, partnering with Nigeria, hosted a roundtable discussion on the impacts of Nigeria’s agricultural trade restrictions on food prices, local production, and investment.
The event was facilitated by the US Mission’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), and the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG).
In the same month, the US mission in Nigeria hosted Arts Envoys to utilise music as a means of fostering collaboration and economic opportunities in Nigeria’s creative sector.
Recently, Flour Mills of Nigeria received 50,000 metric tons of US wheat, valued at about $15 million.
According to the US Embassy in Nigeria, agricultural trade between the two countries has risen significantly this year. It said the trade rose to over $700 million, “benefiting farmers, businesses, and consumers on both sides of the country.”
Development Support declines but still exists
Although the US has significantly scaled back its development support globally, including in Nigeria, it continues to provide some support to Nigeria.
Recently, the US State Department provided $5 million to UNICEF to provide ready-to-use food, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies to at least 70,000 children in northwest Nigeria.
It had also earlier approved $32.5 million in humanitarian aid to address the country’s hunger crisis. The donation was made to the World Food Programme in Nigeria. It is expected to provide food and nutrition assistance to 764,205 beneficiaries across north-east and north-west Nigeria.
This includes complementary nutrition top-ups for 41,569 pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls and 43,235 children through electronic food vouchers.
Talks Ongoing on Security
Mr Trump says insecurity in Nigeria, which he calls attacks on Christians, is his main grouse with the country. Although the American president talked tough and threatened that the US military could go “guns-a-blazing” into the country, talks are ongoing between both parties to diffuse the situation.
A US Congressional delegation recently visited Nigeria and met with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and other officials to intensify diplomatic engagement on security cooperation.
A member of the delegation, Riley Moore, a lawmaker who was at the forefront of the campaign to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern, expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its effort in addressing the security challenges, for its readiness to collaborate with the US government and for “rescuing the 100 innocent and precious Catholic school children.”
In a post on X, he described the meeting with Mr Ribadu as productive.
“I want to thank National Security Advisor @NuhuRibadu for a productive and positive conversation with the US Congressional delegation to Nigeria,” he wrote.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that a recent congressional hearing about insecurity in Nigeria split US lawmakers, with some members framing the crisis as “Christian genocide” and others warning that the narrative dangerously oversimplifies Nigeria’s complex and multi-layered security challenges.
At the hearing, a senior official at the US State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, Jonathan Pratt, said the US will work with Nigeria to address the alleged Christian persecution in the country.
“The Secretary of State has directed us at the State Department to work with the Nigerian government on an action plan and to set up a task force to address this issue and use all of the tools that are at our disposal to focus minds and focus attention on this issue,” he said.
Before the Congressional visit to Nigeria, a high-level Nigerian delegation also visited Washington. The delegation, including military chiefs and Mr Ribadu, met with various American officials, including Secretary of War Peter Hegseth.
Also on Monday, Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, met with the US Ambassador to Nigeria. Richard Mills, to “discuss areas of cooperation between our two countries.”
U.S. Ambassador Mills and Nigerian Foreign Minister Tuggar met today to discuss areas of cooperation between our two countries. The United States looks forward to continuing to work together with Nigeria on issues of mutual concern. pic.twitter.com/IDkWB9RSQw
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) December 15, 2025
With talks ongoing on security amid reports of support to tackle Nigeria’s security crisis, the Nigerian government may succeed in persuading Mr Trump to tone down his rhetoric on the country, especially as several cordial relationships continue to exist between the two countries.
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