The expanding security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States comes at a moment of acute national vulnerability. With terrorism intensifying and spreading beyond traditional conflict zones, U.S. aerial surveillance and targeted strikes may appear necessary—and even welcome—as immediate tools to disrupt violent networks and save lives. Yet history urges caution.
In most theatres of U.S. military engagement, interventions that begin with intelligence sharing and air surveillance often evolve into deeper, more permanent presences. From Afghanistan to Iraq, Libya to Syria, initial counterterrorism mandates gradually expanded, with long-term consequences for sovereignty, regional balance, and internal governance. Rarely has the United States intervened militarily, achieved stability, and withdrawn without leaving enduring footprints—political, military, or strategic.
The Nigerian case is unfolding against a broader geopolitical backdrop. Following the erosion of U.S. influence in parts of the Sahel—particularly after withdrawals or expulsions from Burkina Faso and other AES-aligned states amid growing Russian influence—Nigeria stands out as a pivotal anchor. It is Africa’s most populous nation, a regional power, and a country endowed with vast natural resources, including crude oil, gas, gold, and rare earth minerals critical to global supply chains.
Nigeria’s government, facing rising insecurity allegedly fueled by transnational networks and foreign sponsorship, has limited room for maneuver. Collaboration becomes a necessity, not a luxury. However, moral narratives—such as the framing of violence as genocide—must be carefully examined to distinguish genuine humanitarian concern from strategic justification.
Domestic realities further complicate the picture. With deep demographic and educational challenges, reform policies often struggle for public understanding and buy-in, creating fertile ground for misinformation and political distraction. In such contexts, external interventions can appear stabilizing in the short term while quietly reshaping power dynamics.
The key question, therefore, is not whether cooperation is needed—but how it is structured, bounded, and governed. Assistance is never free. Airspace, after all, is territory. Nigeria and Nigerians must reflect deeply on how to secure today’s safety without compromising tomorrow’s sovereignty.
Princess G. Adebajo-Fraser MFR.
President, the National Patriots.
