By Reportcircle-Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the United States Government have pledged deeper cooperation to sharpen precision strike capabilities while safeguarding civilian lives in conflict zones.
The commitment was reaffirmed on September 9, 2025, during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, by a U.S. delegation from the Institute of Security Governance, led by retired Major General Miguel Castellanos.
Air Marshal Abubakar highlighted the impact of the U.S.-backed Air-to-Ground Integration (AGI) programme, which has strengthened the NAF’s capacity to deliver “firepower at the right place and at the right time with precision and restraint.”
He stressed that the initiative has not only enhanced synergy among Nigeria’s armed services but also embedded global best practices in Civilian Harm Mitigation (CHM).
“The technical and advisory support provided by the United States has been instrumental in building precision and restraint into our operations,” Abubakar said.
“This reinforces our commitment to protecting civilian lives even as we pursue military objectives.”
Commending Nigeria’s progress, retired Major General Miguel Castellanos lauded the NAF’s professionalism, describing the country as a “regional leader” in advancing CHM.
He assured that Washington would continue to provide technical support, training, and expertise to consolidate the gains of the AGI programme.
“What we are developing together is more than operational capability; it is a system that ensures effectiveness while protecting civilian populations,” Castellanos noted. “Nigeria’s leadership in this area sets a strong example for the region.”
Both parties agreed that the long-term goal is to institutionalize joint processes across the Nigerian Armed Forces to counter emerging threats with precision while upholding humanitarian standards.
The visit underlined the growing Nigeria–U.S. security partnership, with commitments to expand cooperation on precision targeting, inter-agency coordination, and civilian protection core pillars of modern counter-terrorism and peace support operations.
