A congressional hearing held in Washington, D.C., a few days ago marked a significant turning point in the international conversation surrounding Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. For the first time in a long while, the U.S. Congress engaged in a constructive, well-informed, and bipartisan debate on the complex crisis unfolding across Nigeria. Lawmakers from both major parties acknowledged not only the scale of terrorism and violent crime but also the immense human suffering endured by communities nationwide.
What stood out to me most was the clear and resounding rejection of any direct U.S. military intervention in Nigeria. Instead, members of Congress advanced a more rational, responsible, and mutually respectful approach, one that prioritizes strategic partnership over unilateral force.
They recommended a joint evaluation of Nigeria’s counterterrorism capabilities and encouraged enhanced intelligence sharing between the two countries. According to the lawmakers, collaboration with Nigerian security agencies is essential to identifying, isolating, arresting, or eliminating the networks responsible for terror and violent criminality.
These concerns span Boko Haram and ISWAP activities in the Northeast, the persistent banditry plaguing the Northwest and North Central, and violent separatist or criminal groups operating in parts of the South. Regardless of religion, region, or ethnicity, Nigerians across the country have paid a heavy price. Every citizen deserves safety, dignity, and peace.
The approach outlined in Washington represents a welcome departure from earlier reckless calls for foreign military action calls that would have threatened Nigeria’s sovereignty and placed civilian populations in grave danger. Instead, this new direction reflects maturity, respect, and a commitment to solutions that actually work. It is a victory for diplomacy and for those who believe in evidence-based cooperation rather than destructive intervention.
The Tinubu administration must seize this critical opportunity. Nigeria should move swiftly to deepen security cooperation with the United States and expand partnerships with European nations as well. The hearing also highlighted another urgent issue: Nigeria’s prolonged failure to appoint ambassadors to key countries. Our global image has suffered significantly from misinformation, disinformation, and the absence of strong diplomatic representation. We need qualified, capable envoys who can defend Nigeria’s interests and engage constructively with world leaders to restore trust in our national direction.
This is not a moment for political patronage. It is a moment to appoint credible professionals people of honour, expertise, and commitment who can protect and represent Nigeria effectively on the global stage.
To fellow Nigerians who privately or publicly celebrated the possibility of foreign military strikes on our soil, I urge reflection. Frustration is understandable, but foreign bombing will not repair our nation. It will destroy innocent lives, fracture communities, and worsen our challenges.
What emerged from the hearing is a far more hopeful path: collaboration, intelligence support, and strengthened capacity to restore peace and stability across every region.
If we embrace this moment with seriousness and sincerity, and if we work with partners in a way that protects our sovereignty, this could become a defining turning point. A moment when Nigeria advances with dignity, strength, and unity. A moment when our government is empowered to secure its people. A moment when Nigeria begins truly to rise again.
Bashir Adamu Zuru is a journalist based in Kaduna.
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