By John Umeh
The United States has sent a small contingent of troops to Nigeria, marking the first confirmed on-ground US military presence in the country since American airstrikes hit terrorist targets on Christmas Day 2025.
The deployment comes weeks after US President Donald Trump ordered air attacks on locations he described as Islamic State-linked positions in Nigeria. At the time, Trump signalled that additional US military actions could be taken if security conditions worsened.
According to Reuters, the US had already been flying surveillance missions over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana as early as late November 2025, supplying intelligence support ahead of the December strikes.
A Reuters report on Tuesday said the troop deployment followed a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and Washington aimed at strengthening cooperation against escalating terrorist threats across West Africa.
Speaking during a press briefing, General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), said the partnership had deepened in response to shared security concerns.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including the presence of a small US team bringing unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson said.
He did not reveal the size of the team or its exact mission but noted that the personnel would support Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, also confirmed the presence of the US team but declined to provide further operational details.
Security sources quoted by Reuters indicated that the American personnel are likely focused on intelligence gathering and assisting Nigerian forces in identifying and targeting extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Nigeria has come under increased scrutiny from Washington in recent months over its response to terrorist violence. President Trump previously accused the Nigerian government of failing to adequately protect Christians in parts of the northwest — allegations Abuja has firmly rejected.
The Federal Government has repeatedly maintained that its military campaign targets all armed groups attacking civilians, insisting that counterterrorism operations are conducted without religious bias.
