DAKAR — The United States has deployed a small contingent of troops to Nigeria as part of expanded security cooperation between both countries, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, confirmed on Thursday.
This marks the first official acknowledgment of U.S. military personnel operating in Nigeria since Washington launched airstrikes on suspected Islamic State targets in the country on Christmas Day.
The deployment follows President Donald Trump’s December directive authorizing strikes against what he described as Islamic State–linked positions in Nigeria, with the possibility of further U.S. military actions.
Reports from Reuters had earlier indicated that U.S. surveillance flights had been operating from Ghana since late November as part of intensified monitoring of terrorist activities in the region.
General Anderson said the deployment was part of a joint effort to counter extremist threats in West Africa, adding that both countries agreed on the need for stronger collaboration.
“That has led to increased cooperation between our nations, including a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson told journalists during a briefing.
He, however, declined to disclose details about the size, location, or specific role of the U.S. personnel.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), also confirmed that American troops were in the country but offered no further information.
A former U.S. official familiar with the operation told reporters that the American team was primarily engaged in intelligence gathering and operational support, helping Nigerian forces identify and target insurgent groups linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
The deployment comes as Washington increases pressure on Nigeria to curb extremist violence, following President Trump’s criticism that the Nigerian government had failed to protect Christian communities from Islamist militants.
Nigeria has repeatedly denied allegations of religious persecution, insisting that its military operations target all armed groups responsible for attacks on both Christian and Muslim civilians.
Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters continue to stage frequent assaults on security forces and civilians, particularly across the country’s northwest — the epicentre of Nigeria’s 17-year-long insurgency.
AFRICOM confirmed that the U.S. airstrike in Sokoto State on Christmas Day, conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities, killed several Islamic State militants.
The move aligns with a broader U.S. strategy to expand military engagement and intelligence sharing across West Africa amid concerns about the spread of extremist networks in the Sahel and coastal regions.
