The United States will deploy about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in the coming weeks to bolster the country’s fight against Islamist insurgents that have devastated parts of the nation for over a decade.
The move, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, will reinforce a small U.S. team already on ground assisting Nigerian forces with air-strike targeting and operational planning.
The deployment signals a notable expansion of U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation, coming on the heels of joint actions that included American airstrikes in northwest Sokoto State last December and the earlier arrival of U.S. military specialists this year.
According to officials, the incoming personnel will not engage in direct combat. Instead, they will focus on training, technical support, intelligence sharing, and coordinating complex joint operations between Nigerian air and ground forces against jihadist groups.
“We are getting U.S. troops to assist in training and technical support,” Defence Headquarters spokesman, Major General Samaila Uba, told AFP.
A spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command also confirmed the deployment, noting that the troops would help Nigerian counterparts plan and synchronize operations involving simultaneous air and ground assaults.
Washington has in recent months increased diplomatic pressure on Abuja over the country’s worsening security crisis, with U.S. President Donald Trump previously describing the violence as “persecution” and “genocide” against Christians.
Despite the tensions, both nations appear to be deepening military collaboration. U.S. forces last December joined Nigerian troops in targeting militants in Sokoto State, officials from both sides said.
Going forward, the U.S. military is expected to expand intelligence support for Nigerian air operations and fast-track arms procurement to strengthen the country’s counterinsurgency campaign.
