Nigeria terror fight receives renewed global attention as Sunday Dare says stronger US partnership is vital to tackling escalating security threats

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy, Sunday Dare, has said Nigeria’s fight against terrorism requires robust international cooperation, insisting the country cannot shoulder the burden alone.

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His remarks follow renewed anxiety over the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, and the persistent threat posed by violent extremist groups.

Speaking through a statement shared on Wednesday, Dare emphasised that the Nigeria Terror Fight has long depended on meaningful foreign partnerships, particularly with the United States, which has provided training, intelligence and operational support.

He described such alliances as vital to confronting a threat that has grown more sophisticated over time.

Dare recalled that American special forces trained Nigerian naval units during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, especially after the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, a period marked by global outrage and intense international mobilisation.

He noted that similar cooperation continues today in the aftermath of the Maga schoolgirls’ abduction.

According to him, current efforts involving training, intelligence sharing and joint exercises, though valuable, are inadequate when measured against the scale and complexity of terrorism in the region.

He argued that defeating the menace requires a dramatic expansion of coordinated global action.

His comments surfaced as international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security management intensifies. In late October, former US President Donald Trump labelled Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious freedom violations, warning that extremist attacks posed a grave danger to Christian and Muslim communities alike.

Trump also threatened aggressive American intervention if Nigerian authorities failed to curb the violence.

President Bola Tinubu had dismissed the former US leader’s assessment as overly simplistic, stating that insecurity in the north-central stemmed from layered crises including herder-farmer conflicts, banditry and indiscriminate extremist attacks that affect all faiths.

Nonetheless, Tinubu welcomed constructive and respectful international collaboration in counter-terrorism.

Dare’s latest intervention underscores an urgent message: the Nigeria Terror Fight depends on sustained global engagement and a resolute domestic response.

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With kidnappings and insurgent activity evolving rapidly, the government believes deeper alliances will play a decisive role in restoring stability and safeguarding vulnerable communities.