US-Nigeria Rift: Buratai Urges Dialogue, Strategic Partnership Over Confrontation
By SANI BATURE
FORMER Chief of Army Staff and ex-ambassador to Benin, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), has urged the United States and Nigeria to replace confrontation with collaboration, describing the growing diplomatic tension between both nations as dangerous but reversible.
In an article titled “Mutual Security, Shared Prosperity: A Strategic Path Beyond the US-Nigeria Stalemate,” Buratai warned that any foreign military action against Nigeria would be a grave mistake and a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
He said framing Nigeria’s internal security challenges as a “Christian genocide” was misleading and risked pushing the country and the wider ECOWAS region toward rival powers such as China and Russia.
Buratai advised Washington to abandon threats and instead pursue discreet cooperation through intelligence sharing, counterterrorism support, and economic engagement — especially in Nigeria’s expanding energy sector led by the Dangote Refinery.
He also called on the Nigerian government to proactively counter negative narratives with strong diplomacy, professional lobbying in key capitals, and unified messaging from both Christian and Muslim leaders.
“The threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty demands national solidarity,” Buratai stated, stressing that demonstrable security and economic progress remain the best defence against foreign interference.
He concluded that both countries must choose “dialogue over diatribes and collaboration over confrontation” to transform the current impasse into a foundation for lasting partnership and shared prosperity.
