In a notable development on 3 February 2026, the United States confirmed that it has sent a small team of military officers to Nigeria, marking an escalation in bilateral security cooperation between the long-standing partners.
General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), told reporters that the deployment followed late-2025 talks in Rome with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, and is intended to augment Nigerian efforts against entrenched armed groups with specialised capabilities from the United States. The precise arrival date of the U.S. team in Nigeria has not been disclosed.
The move comes after a Dec. 25, 2025 United States airstrike against militants affiliated with the Islamic State group in Nigeria’s northwest and reflects an expansion of cooperation following a period of heightened diplomatic and military engagement around Nigeria’s longstanding challenges with
insurgency and insecurity.
Washington’s involvement has been framed within increased collaboration rather than formal large-scale troop deployment, and sits against a backdrop of tension over earlier U.S. criticisms of Nigeria’s handling of violence against civilians.
The deployment of the military team signals a strengthening of ties and shared strategic focus on counter-terrorism, particularly against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), whose activities have posed persistent threats to stability in northern and central Nigeria.