US Confirms Troop Deployment To Nigeria To Boost Counterterrorism Efforts

• The U.S. military has confirmed the presence of American ground troops in Nigeria.
• This is the first public acknowledgment of U.S. troops in Nigeria since airstrikes in December 2025.
• Dagvin Anderson, commander of AFRICOM, provided the update to Reuters.

The United States military has officially confirmed that American forces are now stationed in Nigeria, marking the first public acknowledgment of ground troops since US airstrikes in December 2025.

Dagvin Anderson, commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), shared the update with Reuters, explaining that the deployment is part of a bilateral agreement between Washington and Abuja to enhance counterterrorism efforts.

“The unit brings specialized US capabilities,” Anderson said, without disclosing the number of troops, their locations, or the precise scope of their mission.

This announcement follows earlier reports that President Donald Trump had authorized airstrikes on Islamic State camps in north-eastern Nigeria on December 25, 2025. While officials from both countries described the strikes as successful, later reports noted the presence of unexploded ordnance in civilian areas across Kwara, Niger, and Sokoto states.

Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, also confirmed the presence of US military personnel but provided no additional details.

The deployment comes amid ongoing conflicts with Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which have stepped up attacks in the northeast and sought to expand into the northwest and north-central regions areas already plagued by banditry, communal disputes, and resource-related clashes.

In addition to ground operations, the US has conducted aerial surveillance over Nigeria, reportedly flying missions from neighboring Ghana.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has rejected claims of “Christian genocide,” urging Washington to concentrate on dismantling terrorist networks rather than promoting narratives that could heighten divisions within the country.

The presence of American troops underscores the ongoing partnership between Nigeria and the United States in confronting security threats, although specific details about the mission remain largely undisclosed.