The United States will deploy 200 troops to Nigeria to support the training of the country’s military as it confronts insurgent groups operating across large parts of its northern region.
According to Reuters, a US official confirmed that the additional personnel will join a small number of American military forces already stationed in Nigeria.
The deployment comes amid strengthened security cooperation between the two countries, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over allegations of Christian genocide.
Last week, the Commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), Dagvin Anderson, visited Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
During the visit, Anderson met with President Bola Tinubu; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Defence Christopher Musa; Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff Waidi Shaibu; and other top security officials.
Discussions focused on shared security priorities, particularly efforts to combat terrorist organisations that pose threats to Nigeria, the United States, the broader West African region, and global stability.
Anderson disclosed that US forces had already been deployed to Nigeria under an expanded bilateral agreement aimed at addressing terrorism and related security challenges, though he did not reveal the exact number of personnel currently involved.
He added that the troops’ primary role would be intelligence gathering and operational support for Nigerian forces.
On Christmas Day, the United States carried out missile strikes on two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the “precision hits” resulted from intelligence sharing and strategic coordination between both nations, adding that the action was consistent with “established international practice and bilateral understanding”.
