- The U.S. military has confirmed the presence of U.S. ground troops in Nigeria.
- This is the first public admission by the US military in Nigeria since the air strikes in December 2025.
- AFRICOM Commander Dagvin Anderson provided an update to Reuters.
The U.S. military has officially confirmed that U.S. troops are now stationed in Nigeria, the first public acknowledgment of ground troops since U.S. airstrikes in December 2025.
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander Dagvin Anderson shared the latest news with Reuters, explaining that the deployment is part of a bilateral agreement between Washington and Abuja aimed at strengthening counterterrorism efforts.
"This unit brings U.S. professional capabilities," Anderson said, without disclosing the number of troops, their location or the specific scope of their mission.
This follows reports that President Donald Trump has authorized air strikes on Islamic State camps in northeastern Nigeria on December 25, 2025. While officials from both countries called the strike a success, reports later pointed to the presence of unexploded ordnance in civilian areas in Kwara, Niger and Sokoto states.
Nigerian Defense Minister Christopher Moussa also confirmed the presence of U.S. military personnel but gave no further details.
The deployment comes amid ongoing conflicts with Boko Haram and 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 already plagued by banditry, communal disputes and resource conflicts.
In addition to ground operations, the United States also conducts aerial surveillance of Nigeria, reportedly operating from neighboring Ghana.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s government has rejected claims of “Christian genocide” and urged Washington to focus on destroying terrorist networks rather than promoting rhetoric that could exacerbate divisions within the country.
The presence of U.S. troops underscores the ongoing partnership between Nigeria and the United States in countering security threats, although specific details about the mission remain largely undisclosed.
