U.S. Deploys Military Team to Nigeria Amid Deepening Security Cooperation

LAGOS, Nigeria — The United States has deployed a small team of military officers to Nigeria as part of deepening security cooperation between both countries, the head of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has confirmed.

General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander of AFRICOM, disclosed the deployment during a media briefing on Tuesday, noting that the decision followed a meeting with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year. According to Anderson, the engagement paved the way for closer collaboration aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts.

“This has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said.

While AFRICOM did not specify the exact mandate or size of the team, it said the officers are intended to support, rather than replace, Nigerian-led security operations. The timing of the team’s arrival in Nigeria was not disclosed.

The deployment follows heightened U.S. military engagement in the region, including airstrikes carried out on December 25 last year against a group affiliated with the Islamic State, signalling Washington’s growing concern over extremist activities in West Africa.

Nigeria has recently been at the centre of diplomatic tensions with the United States, particularly following allegations by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Nigerian government was failing to protect its Christian population. The claims, which included threats of possible U.S. military action, led to Nigeria being designated a Country of Particular Concern, a U.S. congressional classification for nations accused of severe religious freedom violations.

The Nigerian government has strongly rejected the allegations of a Christian genocide, insisting that armed groups in the country target civilians indiscriminately, regardless of religious affiliation.

Despite the diplomatic dispute, military ties between the two countries have continued to expand. The United States has supplied Nigeria with military equipment and conducted reconnaissance operations across the country, although the full scope and terms of the cooperation have not been made public.

Nigeria continues to battle multiple armed groups across different regions, including Islamist insurgents such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). In addition to the insurgency in the North East, criminal gangs and armed groups have intensified attacks in the North West.

Last month, gunmen carried out simultaneous attacks on three churches in Kaduna State, abducting 168 people, highlighting ongoing security challenges and the persistent threat to civilian communities.