AFRICOM Commander, General Dagvin Anderson, Visits President Tinubu in Abuja

ByEditor

Feb 8, 2026 #Abuja Presidential Villa, #AFRICOM Nigeria, #General Dagvin Anderson, #Nigeria military leadership, #President Bola Tinubu security talks, #US–Nigeria defence cooperation

Pat Stevens/

The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, has paid a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The visit underscores ongoing security and defence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

The meeting, held on Sunday, brought together senior officials from Nigeria’s security and intelligence community as well as high-ranking representatives of the United States government and military.

Those present included Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi.

Also in attendance were the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Uandiandeye.

The United States delegation featured the Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern, AFRICOM’s Senior Foreign Policy Adviser, Ambassador Peter Vrooman, and the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of AFRICOM, Command Sergeant Major Garric M. Banfield.

While details of the discussions were not officially disclosed, the visit comes amid heightened security concerns across parts of Nigeria, including persistent threats from terrorism, banditry and transnational criminal networks.

AFRICOM has long partnered with Nigerian security agencies through training, intelligence sharing and capacity-building initiatives aimed at strengthening regional stability in West Africa.

President Tinubu’s administration has prioritised security sector reform and enhanced international cooperation as part of broader efforts to address insecurity and protect critical national interests.

AFRICOM, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is responsible for U.S. military operations and security cooperation across the African continent, working with partner nations to promote stability and counter violent extremism.

The visit is seen as part of sustained diplomatic and military engagement between Abuja and Washington at a time of evolving security challenges in the region.