The United States has deployed about 200 military personnel and several MQ-9 surveillance drones to Nigeria to assist in the ongoing fight against insurgency.
According to officials from both countries who spoke with Reuters, the US troops are not directly involved in frontline combat operations alongside Nigerian forces. Instead, their role is limited to support functions, while the drones are being used strictly for intelligence gathering and surveillance, not for airstrikes.
Reports indicate that the US previously operated a $100 million drone base in neighbouring Niger Republic, where roughly 1,000 troops monitored militant activities across the Sahel region. However, the facility was shut down in 2024 after Niger’s military authorities ordered American forces to withdraw.
A US defence official disclosed that the current deployment to Nigeria was made at the request of the Nigerian government, with a focus on strengthening intelligence capabilities.
“We see this as a shared security threat,” the official said.
Confirming the development, Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, said the US personnel and equipment are operating from an airfield in Bauchi State in the North-East.
He emphasised that the US military’s involvement remains strictly non-combat, providing support to Nigerian-led operations.
According to him, the collaboration builds on a recently established US-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which has been supplying actionable intelligence to commanders in the field.
“Our US partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities,” Uba stated.
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