December 22, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has said diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States have been strengthened following recent tensions triggered by remarks from US President, Donald Trump, over alleged killings of Christians in the country.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Monday, at a year-end news conference in Abuja, noting that sustained and respectful engagement helped to de-escalate the situation and reinforce bilateral cooperation.
According to Idris, the diplomatic disagreement, which drew international attention in October and November, has been “largely resolved”, paving the way for improved collaboration between both countries.
“The recent diplomatic spat with the United States has been largely resolved through a firm, respectful engagement culminating in a strengthened partnership between America and Nigeria”, the minister said.
THEWILL recalls that President Trump had alleged that Nigerian Christians were facing an “existential threat” amounting to “genocide” amid the country’s ongoing security challenges, and warned of possible action against Nigeria.
The Nigeria government has consistently rejected the portrayal of the nation’s insecurity as religious persecution. Authorities insist that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims and is largely driven by insurgency, banditry, criminality and competition over land and resources.
Idris pointed to a recent aid agreement under which the United States is expected to provide $2.1 billion to Nigeria’s health sector. The US State Department had said the package places “a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based health care providers.”
Idris dismissed concerns over religious bias, insisting that the intervention would benefit all Nigerians.
“Every Nigerian is going to be a beneficiary of this arrangement”, he said.
While Nigeria remains on the US list of countries of “particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom; and also affected by visa and immigration restrictions announced by the Trump administration, THEWILL reports that the Federal Government remains optimistic that continued dialogue and cooperation will further consolidate Nigeria–US relations while supporting efforts to address the country’s security and development challenges.
To further boost assurances, Idris disclosed that the Federal Government has officially designated kidnappers and violent armed groups as terrorists.
President Bola Tinubu had disclosed in his 2026 budget speech presented last Friday to a joint session of the National Assembly, that Nigeria was resetting its national security architecture with a unified counter-terrorism approach.
“Henceforth, any armed group or gun-wielding non-state actors operating outside state authority will be regarded as terrorists”, he declared. These, he said, include bandits, militias, armed gangs, kidnappers, violent cult groups, forest-based armed collectives and foreign-linked mercenaries.
The President warned that financiers, ransom facilitators, arms suppliers, political protectors and even community or religious leaders who aid violence would also be designated terrorists.
Idris stated to newsmen on Monday that the move signals a shift from treating mass kidnappings and rural attacks as ordinary crimes to confronting them under full counterterrorism measures.
“Henceforth, any armed group or individual that kidnaps our children, attacks our farmers, and terrorises our communities is officially classified and will be dealt with as a terrorist. Now, the era of ambiguous nomenclature is over. If you terrorise our people, whether you are a group or you are an individual, you are a terrorist and will be classified as such. There is no name hiding under this again”, the minister said.
He added that the policy would strengthen intelligence sharing and operational coordination across security agencies, allowing for faster and more decisive action.
The minister highlighted that improved inter-agency collaboration has already produced results, noting that in 2025, two of the most internationally wanted criminals were captured through coordinated operations.
In a bid to secure vulnerable rural areas, Idris also announced the deployment of trained and equipped forest guards, saying that these personnel will combine surveillance, local intelligence, and rapid-response capabilities to secure forests and remote locations often used as hideouts by criminal groups.
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