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The United States has deployed a small team of troops to Nigeria, marking its first acknowledged ground presence in the country since American airstrikes targeted militant groups late last year, according to US and Nigerian officials.
The move follows US strikes ordered by President Donald Trump on Christmas Day 2025 against what Washington described as Islamic State linked targets in Nigeria, signaling a deeper phase of security cooperation between the two countries.
The deployment comes after an agreement between Washington and Abuja to strengthen joint efforts against escalating militant violence in West Africa, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
US Africa Command chief General Dagvin R. M. Anderson confirmed the presence of American personnel during a press briefing, saying the cooperation had led to “a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States.” He declined to disclose the size of the unit or its precise mission, but said it was intended to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations.
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Nigeria’s Defense Minister Christopher Musa also confirmed the deployment, though he offered no additional operational details.
Security sources cited by Reuters said the American team is expected to focus on intelligence gathering and operational support, helping Nigerian forces track and target extremist groups including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
The United States had already increased its surveillance activity in the region ahead of the December strikes. Reuters reported that American aircraft had been flying intelligence missions over Nigeria from neighboring Ghana since at least late November 2025.
President Trump previously suggested that additional military steps could follow the December air campaign if militant threats continued to expand.
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The deployment comes amid heightened diplomatic pressure from Washington over Nigeria’s handling of militant violence, particularly in the country’s northwest.
President Trump has accused Nigeria’s government of failing to protect Christian communities from attacks, a claim Nigerian authorities have repeatedly rejected. Abuja has said its military operations target all armed groups attacking civilians, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
Nigeria has battled insurgencies for more than a decade, with violence spreading across multiple regions despite repeated military offensives.
For now, officials on both sides describe the US presence as limited and supportive, though its arrival underscores growing international concern over security stability in West Africa and the expanding footprint of extremist groups.
