The United States government says it’s working closely with Nigeria as partners to strengthen security and ensure stability in West Africa.

The Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Nigeria, David Greene, who made this known in Abuja on Sunday, described Nigeria as a strategic partner to the U.S. given its top position as a regional power in Africa.

Greene said: “Security is something we partner on with lots of countries.

“Nigeria is a strategic partner because of its weight in the African region and the challenges in the Sahel and West Africa.

“This is in terms of dealing with violent extremism and stability. More broadly, Nigeria has been a key partner.

“Some of such cooperation involves the systems that we provide to it for it to be able to protect it’s coastal waters and to carry out its counter-terrorism measures.

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“Some of that involves the equipment that Nigeria buys from the U.S.

“The Nigerian government bought a dozen A-29 super canon planes two years ago.

“It is a precision munition that allows them to tackle terrorism problems.

“We do not just work with the military, we work with civilian security services very effectively in addressing illegal drug issues.”

The envoy further stated that the U.S. “is providing support to Nigeria in furtherance of its police reform and capacity building” aimed at delivering  justice transparently.

He added: “We are working with Nigeria on a programme to reduce the number of individuals that are in pre-trial detention looking at the rights of those individuals in prisons and correctional facilities in Nigeria.

“We have a vast array of programmes that are attempting to support the Nigerian government’s goals in terms of enhancing the security and quality of life of individual Nigerian citizens.

“So, we are all aware of the challenges that Nigeria faces, in terms of its security, and also the strength of the systems that should allow for the continued improvement in the situation.

“This is a partnership that we are proud of and one that we will continue.”

The Star