A small but strategic U.S. team is already on ground, backing Nigeria’s fight against terror.
The United States has deployed a special forces team to Nigeria as part of a deeper military partnership aimed at flushing out terrorists, AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson has confirmed.
Speaking during a digital news conference, Anderson said the deployment followed high-level talks with President Bola Tinubu, including approval of U.S. airstrikes on ISIS targets on Christmas Day.
According to him, Nigeria requested support that only the U.S. could provide—especially in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and intelligence fusion—making joint operations more effective.
The AFRICOM chief said the U.S. team is meant to augment Nigeria’s long-running counterterrorism efforts, though details of its composition were not disclosed. He described Nigeria as a “willing and capable partner” and a model for U.S. cooperation in West Africa.
Anderson warned that terrorist groups like ISIS, al-Qaida and JNIM are increasing pressure across West Africa and the Sahel, threatening regional capitals and spreading toward coastal states.
He added that AFRICOM would continue working with willing African partners and highlighted upcoming multinational drills, including African Lion 2026 in Morocco, involving over 30 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
Big picture: tighter coordination, shared intelligence and joint action are now central to the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and beyond.
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