U.S. Deploys Troops To Nigeria After December Airstrikes
The United States has deployed a small team of troops to Nigeria, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Tuesday.
The development followed President Donald Trump’s order authorising airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria in December. Trump had indicated that further U.S. military action in the country remained possible.
The United States had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since at least late November 2025, providing intelligence support ahead of the December strikes.
According to Reuters, the deployment followed an agreement between the Nigerian Government and the U.S. to deepen cooperation in combating the terrorist threat in West Africa.
Speaking to journalists during a press briefing on Tuesday, the head of the U.S. military’s Africa Command, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, said the agreement “has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States.”
Anderson did not provide further details on the size of the team or the scope of its mission.
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Reuters also quoted Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, as confirming the presence of the U.S. team, though he declined to give additional details.
A former U.S. official told Reuters that the team appeared to be heavily involved in intelligence gathering and in enabling Nigerian forces to strike terrorist-affiliated groups.
Security sources cited by Reuters said the Americans are likely assisting Nigerian forces with intelligence and targeting operations against groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Nigeria has faced mounting pressure from Washington over its handling of terrorist attacks, particularly after U.S. President Trump accused the government of failing to protect Christians in the country’s northwest.
The Nigerian government has denied any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.
