The United States will deploy 200 additional troops to Nigeria to enhance military training and intelligence support to intensifies operations against insurgent groups in the north.
A US official, quoted by credible media outlets, said the incoming personnel will reinforce a small contingent of American forces already operating in the country.
The move signals a strengthening of security cooperation between Washington and Abuja at a critical phase in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign.
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The deployment follows renewed military engagement between the two countries after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious violence. Despite diplomatic sensitivities surrounding the designation, defence collaboration between both governments has continued to expand.
Last week, General Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), visited Abuja for high-level security consultations. He met with President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Defence Minister Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Army Staff Waidi Shaibu, and other senior officials.
Talks focused on shared security priorities, particularly countering terrorist networks operating across Nigeria’s northern corridor and the broader Sahel region.
Anderson said US forces currently in Nigeria are operating under an expanded bilateral security framework designed to combat terrorism. While he did not disclose the number of personnel already deployed, he said their mission centres on intelligence gathering, surveillance coordination and operational support for Nigerian forces.
The announcement comes weeks after the United States carried out missile strikes on terrorist enclaves in the Bauni forest in Tangaza LGA of Sokoto state on Christmas Day.
Nigeria’s ministry of foreign affairs described the operation as “precision hits” conducted following intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between both countries, adding that the action aligned with established international practice and mutual security agreements.
Security analysts say the additional troops are unlikely to participate in direct combat operations but will provide technical assistance, tactical training and enhanced intelligence capabilities.
Nigeria continues to confront insurgent groups and armed bandits across parts of the north-west and north-east, as military authorities face mounting pressure to restore stability in affected communities.
The expanded cooperation underscores Washington’s strategic interest in West African security amid evolving extremist threats across the Sahel.
