The United States has quietly deepened its security footprint in Nigeria, with senior U.S. military officials confirming that a limited number of American officers have been deployed to support operations in the West African country.
The disclosure came during a media briefing on Tuesday, where the commander of U.S. Africa Command, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, linked the decision to discussions he held with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during a meeting in Rome late last year.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said.
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Officials have not revealed when the American personnel arrived or the specific scope of their activities, according to AP’s report. Their presence follows recent military action by the U.S., including airstrikes carried out on December 25 against a faction connected to the Islamic State.
Relations between the United States and Nigeria have also been shaped by political friction. Nigeria came under scrutiny after U.S. President Donald Trump accused the country of failing to adequately protect Christians, raising the possibility of military action. In the aftermath of those claims, Nigeria was labeled a Country of Particular Concern, a classification used by U.S. lawmakers to identify nations accused of religious persecution.
Nigerian authorities dismissed the accusations, maintaining that insurgent attacks are not directed at a single religious group but affect civilians across faith lines.
Despite the disagreement, security ties between both countries appear to be expanding. While details of the partnership remain limited, the United States has provided Nigeria with military hardware and conducted aerial surveillance operations across parts of the country.
Nigeria continues to confront multiple insurgent threats, including extremist organizations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have waged violent campaigns in several regions.
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The security challenges were underscored last month when gunmen coordinated assaults on three churches in Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria, resulting in the abduction of 168 worshippers.
