The Senate has commended the continued military collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in the fight against terrorism.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, gave the commendation on Tuesday in his address of welcome at the first plenary sitting in 2026 after the Christmas and New Year Recess.

Akpabio said that such partnerships reinforced the country’s national security efforts and affirmed that Nigeria stands with allies in confronting forces threatening peace and stability.

“At the same time, the senate extends its deepest sympathies to the families who have lost sons and daughters to insecurity across our country.

“Their grief reminds us that security is not an abstract concept—it is about lives, homes and futures that must be protected,” he said.

The senate president noted that between the time the National Assembly went on recess and now, Nigeria had continued its steady march—through economic pressures, security challenges, social demands and the quiet resilience of the people.

“Nigerians have endured, adapted and persevered. They have not been silent; they have spoken through enterprise and an abiding belief that tomorrow can be better than today.

“Above all, they continue to call for leadership that listens, reforms that work and a future that rewards effort, integrity and honest labour.

“Their expectations have not diminished; they have grown more urgent. As we return, we are mindful that events did not pause in our absence—and neither must our sense of duty,” he said.

Akpabio urged his colleagues to respond with urgency to the warning by the United Nations that as many as 35 million Nigerians might face hunger this year.

“This sobering reality demands a doubling of effort—through legislation, oversight and collaboration—to strengthen food security, protect the vulnerable and ensure that no Nigerian is abandoned to despair,” he stated.