The United States has deployed a small contingent of troops to Nigeria, marking its first confirmed ground presence in the country following airstrikes carried out against terrorist targets on Christmas Day 2025.
The deployment comes weeks after US President Donald Trump authorised airstrikes on locations he described as Islamic State enclaves in Nigeria, while warning that further military action could follow if security threats persisted.
According to a Reuters report on Tuesday, the troop deployment followed a bilateral agreement between Nigeria and the United States to strengthen security cooperation amid rising terrorist activities across West Africa.
The report noted that prior to the December strikes, the US had conducted surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana, supplying intelligence support ahead of the operation.
Speaking during an both briefing, the Commander of the US Africa Command, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, said the agreement had resulted in expanded collaboration between both countries, including the deployment of a specialised American team.
“This has led to increased cooperation between our nations, including the presence of a small US team bringing unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson said.
He, however, declined to disclose the size or specific mandate of the team, noting only that it would support Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations.
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, also confirmed the presence of the US personnel but refrained from providing further details on their activities.
Security sources quoted by Reuters indicated that the American team is likely engaged in intelligence gathering and operational support aimed at combating insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
The deployment comes amid heightened scrutiny from Washington over Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, particularly after President Trump accused the Federal Government of failing to adequately protect Christian communities in parts of the country — an allegation Abuja has repeatedly denied.
The Federal Government has maintained that its military operations are non-discriminatory and target all armed groups responsible for attacks on civilians, regardless of religious affiliation.