The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, has said sustained collaboration between Nigeria and the United States remains critical to tackling insecurity and other pressing national challenges.

Benson, who spoke on the outcome of a series of recent engagements with senior U.S. officials, said the meetings reinforced the shared understanding that both countries “are stronger together” in confronting threats to peace and stability.

He said the latest interface on November 19, 2025, involved a Nigerian delegation of relevant committee chairmen and a U.S. team led by Cassandra Carraway and Mark Handloff.

It followed earlier consultations on August 13, 2025, with the military-political adviser at the U.S. Embassy, also involving Handloff, and a December 15, 2024, dialogue with a U.S. congressional delegation led by Rep. John James, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, alongside Reps. Young Kim, Sara Jacobs, Jonathan Jackson, and officials of the U.S. Embassy, led by Amb. Richard Mills Jr.

The parley is coming weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump condemned continued killings in Nigeria, declaring America’s readiness to send its military to Nigeria if the Federal Government failed to stop the killings by jihadist groups.

Benson, in a statement on Saturday, said the engagements reaffirm the enduring partnership and a shared commitment to peace, stability and prosperity in Nigeria.

He added that both sides agreed on the need to deepen trust, scale up U.S. support for Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations, strengthen human rights protections, and boost legislative diplomacy between the two nations.

According to him, Nigeria’s strategic priority is to ensure that global narratives reflect not only the country’s challenges but also the creativity and resilience of its youth, as well as ongoing reforms aimed at restoring Nigeria to its rightful place as the giant of Africa.

Benson stressed that Nigeria does not benefit from “condemnation or confrontation” at this stage of its democratic development, insisting that productive engagement remains the best path forward.

He said: “Our vision for Nigeria-United States relations is one in which the global narrative reflects not only our challenges, but also the strength, creativity, and resilience of Nigerian youth, and the bold reforms now underway to restore Nigeria fully to its rightful place as the giant of Africa.

“What our engagements with U.S. officials have consistently affirmed is that cooperation, collaboration, and constructive partnership are the most effective tools for addressing our security concerns, deepening our democracy, and protecting human rights.

“We remain open to honest dialogue, fair criticism, and mutual accountability—but always within a framework of respect, partnership, and shared strategic interests.

“These are the surest pathways to a more peaceful, more stable, and more prosperous Nigeria, in a manner that advances the long-term interests, values, and security of both Nigeria and the United States”.