The United States is intensifying its military engagement with Nigeria, following recent airstrikes on Islamic State-linked targets in the country.
This marks a significant step in strengthening the security partnership between Washington and Africa’s most populous nation.
As Nigeria faces escalating security challenges, the U.S. is engaged in ongoing negotiations for the potential establishment of a military base in the country, which would further deepen defense cooperation between the two nations.
Expanded U.S. military presence
The planned deployment would, in turn, augment the small number of U.S. military personnel currently operating in Nigeria in training and advisory roles, according to Reuters.
While the U.S. military confirmed last week that a team had been sent to Nigeria, it did not disclose the exact number of troops at the time.
This confirmation marked the first public acknowledgment of U.S. personnel in Nigeria since American forces conducted airstrikes on Christmas Day.
President Donald Trump has, however, indicated that additional military action in Nigeria remains a possibility.
Pressure over militant violence
Nigeria has faced mounting international scrutiny over its handling of Islamist violence, particularly in the northwest, where militant groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have intensified attacks on military convoys, villages, and religious sites.
President Trump has accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect Christian communities from militant attacks, a claim strongly denied by Abuja.
The Nigerian government maintains that its security operations target Islamist fighters and other armed groups that threaten civilians, regardless of religion.
With over 230 million people, Nigeria is roughly evenly divided between Christians, who are concentrated in the south, and Muslims, who predominate in the north.
Last month, an armed group launched simultaneous attacks on three churches in northwestern Kaduna state, abducting 168 people.
These events are part of a broader pattern of violence that has contributed to a 17-year insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria.
Deepening defence cooperation
The planned deployment comes amid growing security cooperation between Washington and Abuja.
Last week, AFRICOM’s Commander, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, confirmed that the United States had dispatched a small team of military officers to Nigeria following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year.
“That engagement led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small U.S. team that brings unique capabilities to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said, without specifying when the team arrived.
Drone operations under discussion
Reports indicate deeper U.S. military engagement in Nigeria. Sources familiar with the matter reveal that Washington has requested permission to establish a drone refueling station in the country.
If approved, the facility would support U.S. drones operating from Accra, Ghana, which currently conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights over large parts of Nigerian territory.
The new arrivals, alongside previous deployments, will be stationed at a separate base, which could be either temporary or permanent moving forward.
