The United States has sent approximately 200 troops to Nigeria to provide training to the country’s military in combating Islamist militants, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
An American military official told the newspaper that the deployment follows recent comments by US President Donald Trump, who accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks.
The troops are expected to enhance Nigeria’s counterterrorism capabilities through training and operational support. They will join a small number of US military advisers already in the country, who assist Nigerian forces with intelligence and target identification for military operations, according to US and Nigerian officials.
During a virtual briefing last week, Gen Dagvin R. Anderson, Commander of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), confirmed the strengthened collaboration between both nations following high-level discussions.
“I met with President Tinubu, and we shared ideas on a path forward in the region. This has resulted in increased collaboration, including a small US team bringing unique capabilities to complement what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Gen Anderson said.
The Defence Headquarters of Nigeria clarified that the partnership with the United States focuses on capacity building rather than direct combat operations. The collaboration includes professional military education, intelligence sharing, logistics support, and strategic dialogue to address shared security challenges, particularly terrorism.
The clarification from the military followed media reports and public speculation about the presence of US troops in Nigeria. Maj Gen Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, emphasised that all engagements with the United States respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and follow established bilateral frameworks.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria maintains a long-standing and structured security partnership with the United States,” he said.
Earlier, President Bola Tinubu received a high-level US delegation led by Gen Anderson at the State House in Abuja. The team also included Keith Heffern, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Nigeria. Discussions focused on strengthening defence cooperation and regional security efforts.
