Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Lagos, Nigeria — The United States military has dispatched a small team of personnel to Nigeria to support counter-terrorism efforts, marking a deepening of defence cooperation between Washington and Abuja, Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), confirmed on Tuesday. The deployment follows recent high-level discussions and security coordination between the two nations.
Speaking at a press briefing, Gen. Anderson said the decision to send the team came after meetings with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in Rome late last year, where both leaders agreed on the need for closer collaboration in addressing the rising threat posed by Islamic State-affiliated militants and other armed groups in West Africa. “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said, without providing specific details about the size or exact mission of the deployed personnel.
The deployment is the latest step in bilateral security cooperation that has included US-led airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria in late 2025 and expanded intelligence sharing between the two militaries. It comes amid a backdrop of continued Islamist insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria, where groups such as Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram remain active, contributing to chronic instability and violence.
It is not yet clear when the US team arrived in Nigeria or the full scope of its activities, but observers say the mission likely focuses on intelligence support, training, and operational coordination with Nigerian forces. The move reflects enhanced US-Nigeria military ties after Washington’s evolving strategy to assist African partners confronting extremist groups, and it follows earlier US reconnaissance and surveillance efforts in the region.
The Nigerian government has previously rejected claims by some US officials that it was not doing enough to protect certain communities from Islamist violence, insisting its security operations target all violent actors regardless of religion. Nevertheless, the deployment signals a mutual interest in more robust collaboration to address insurgency and terrorism threats on Nigerian soil.
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