US Deploys Military Specialists to Nigeria in Counter-Terrorism Push

The United States has positioned a specialized military team in Nigeria to support the West African nation’s ongoing operations against Islamic extremist groups, America’s top commander for Africa announced Tuesday.

General Dagvin Anderson, head of U.S. Africa Command, revealed the deployment during a virtual press briefing from AFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart. The decision follows high-level discussions in Rome with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who authorized U.S. airstrikes on Nigerian soil targeting Islamic militants in late December.

“Our meeting with President Tinubu made clear that coordinated efforts between our nations are essential in West Africa,” Anderson explained. “This collaboration has resulted in a small American team bringing specialized capabilities to complement Nigeria’s multi-year efforts against these threats. We’re seeing encouraging progress.”

Anderson did not disclose specific details about the team’s size, composition, or precise capabilities deployed to Nigeria.

The move reflects mounting concerns about the spread of Islamic militant activity across West Africa. Nigeria has battled insurgencies and instability for years, particularly in its northern regions, where groups including Boko Haram, ISIS affiliates, and al-Qaida-linked organizations have conducted devastating attacks.

The violence against Christians in Nigeria specifically caught President Donald Trump’s attention, prompting the Christmas Day military strikes. “I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump stated following the December 25 operations. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.”

However, security analysts emphasize that Nigeria’s crisis is multifaceted—both Christians and Muslims have suffered casualties from militant attacks in the country’s northern territory.

The Nigerian deployment comes as AFRICOM recalibrates its regional presence. The command was forced to abandon military installations in neighboring Niger in 2024, a year after that country experienced a coup. Niger had previously served as a critical hub for American military operations in West Africa.

While Anderson didn’t directly address how losing the Niger bases has affected regional security operations, he emphasized that AFRICOM’s counter-terrorism strategy relies on partnerships across the continent.

As an example of successful collaboration, Anderson pointed to operations in Somalia, where ISIS has established itself as the second major terrorist threat alongside the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab, which has operated there for two decades.

U.S. airstrikes combined with surveillance and logistical support have enabled Somali forces to mount an offensive against ISIS fighters entrenched in northern Somalia’s remote mountain ranges, Anderson said.

“It’s collapsed the area that ISIS has been able to operate in and is quite literally keeping them and ISIS leadership underground,” he added.

AFRICOM conducted its latest strike against ISIS-Somalia on Friday.