The United States has deployed a small contingent of military officers to Nigeria, marking a new phase in security cooperation between both countries amid ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
The development was disclosed on Tuesday by the Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, during a media briefing. Anderson said the deployment followed high-level engagements with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, including a meeting held in Rome late last year.
According to the AFRICOM chief, the decision reflects growing collaboration between Washington and Abuja on regional security challenges.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said.
He, however, did not disclose when the U.S. military team arrived in Nigeria, nor the specific nature of their operations.
The deployment comes months after the United States carried out airstrikes on December 25 last year against a group affiliated with the Islamic State, underscoring Washington’s heightened military engagement in the region.
Nigeria has recently found itself at the center of diplomatic tensions with the United States, following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take action against the country. Trump had accused Nigeria of failing to adequately protect its Christian population.
In the aftermath of the allegations, Nigeria was designated a Country of Particular Concern — a U.S. congressional classification for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
The Nigerian government strongly rejected claims of a Christian genocide, maintaining that armed groups operating within the country target civilians indiscriminately, regardless of religious affiliation.
Despite the diplomatic friction, the situation has reportedly spurred closer military cooperation between both countries. While the full terms of the partnership remain unclear, the United States has supplied Nigeria with military equipment and conducted reconnaissance operations across parts of the country.
Nigeria continues to grapple with widespread insecurity, battling multiple armed groups, including Islamist factions such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Last month, the security crisis escalated further when an armed group carried out coordinated attacks on three churches in northwestern Kaduna State, abducting at least 168 people.
