President Bola Tinubu has pledged his administration’s resolve to deepen international engagement and intensify the fight against terrorism and criminality.

The President spoke shortly after an economic briefing by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, who reported at the Federal Executive Council meeting on Thursday that the administration’s reform agenda continues to stimulate investor confidence and deliver notable economic gains.

Mr. Tinubu said the government remains firmly committed to advancing the country under the Renewed Hope Agenda, despite prevailing political and security pressures. He also acknowledged the scale of the security and economic challenges confronting the nation.

“The task ahead is immense. But we are resolved to move forward with unity and purpose, to defeat terrorism and build a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient Nigeria,” he said.

Mr. Tinubu’s remarks came after an incendiary post by former US President Donald Trump last week, in which Mr. Trump threatened to send US forces into Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing” if the country did not stop what he described as the killing of Christians by Islamists.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities. I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet,” he wrote on Truth Social.

Subsequently, reports indicated that the United States military was preparing contingency plans for potential airstrikes in Nigeria, following a directive from Mr. Trump instructing the Pentagon to “prepare to intervene” to protect Christians from terrorist attacks.

The New York Times reported that US Africa Command submitted a series of operational options to the Department of Defense, in response to a request from Secretary Pete Hegseth, and that officials familiar with the planning described the proposals as “heavy”, “medium”, and “light”, detailing different levels of military engagement within Nigeria.