The United States is set to deploy 200 troops to Nigeria to train the country’s armed forces as it confronts insurgent groups operating across large parts of the northern region.
According to Reuters, a US official stated that the incoming personnel will reinforce the small number of United States military officers already stationed in Nigeria.
The move comes amid strengthened security cooperation between the two countries, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over allegations of Christian genocide.
Last week, Dagvin Anderson, commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), paid a visit to Abuja.
He was welcomed by President Bola Tinubu, Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA); Christopher Musa, minister of defence; Olufemi Oluyede, chief of defence staff; Waidi Shaibu, chief of army staff; and other top security officials.
During the meeting, both sides discussed shared security interests, particularly efforts to combat terrorist groups posing threats to Nigeria, the United States, the broader region, and global stability.
Anderson revealed that some US forces had already been deployed under an expanded bilateral arrangement aimed at addressing terrorism and related threats, although he did not specify their number.
He explained that the additional troops would concentrate largely on intelligence collection and offering operational support to Nigerian forces.
On Christmas Day, the US carried out missile strikes on two terrorist hideouts in the Bauni forest in Tangaza LGA of Sokoto state.
Nigeria’s ministry of foreign affairs said the “precision hits” were the result of intelligence sharing and coordinated strategy between the two nations, and were consistent with “established international practice and bilateral understanding”.