US troops in Nigeria are deployed to train local forces, enhance counterterrorism capacity, and strengthen military cooperation, says officials

The United States has deployed roughly 200 troops to Nigeria to train the country’s military in counterterrorism operations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

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An American military official told the newspaper that the deployment follows weeks after US President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks.

The personnel are expected to enhance Nigeria’s counterterrorism capacity through training and operational support.

The newly deployed team supplements a small number of US military advisers already in Nigeria, who assist local forces with intelligence to identify targets for military strikes, US and Nigerian officials said.

Gen Dagvin R. Anderson, Commander of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), confirmed during a virtual briefing last week that both countries had agreed on closer collaboration.

“I was able to meet President Tinubu. We were able to share some thoughts and agree that we needed to work together on a way forward in the region.

That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small US team that brings unique capabilities from the United States to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Gen Anderson said.

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters clarified that the partnership focuses on capacity building rather than combat operations.

According to Maj Gen Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, the collaboration covers professional military education, intelligence sharing, logistics support, and strategic dialogue to address shared security challenges, particularly terrorism.

“All engagements with the United States are conducted with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and within established bilateral frameworks,” Maj Gen Uba stated.

President Bola Tinubu also received a high-level US delegation led by Gen Anderson at the State House in Abuja on Sunday.

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The meeting included the US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Keith Heffern, and focused on strengthening defence cooperation and regional security efforts.