US to send 200 troops to train Nigeria’s military
The United States is set to send 200 military personnel to Nigeria to assist in training its armed forces as the country continues to grapple with insurgency in parts of the northern region.
A US official told Reuters that the incoming troops will join a small number of American military personnel already stationed in Nigeria.
The move comes amid deepening security cooperation between Washington and Abuja, following US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to reclassify Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over allegations of targeted violence against Christians.
Last week, General Dagvin Anderson, commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), visited Abuja for high-level security discussions. He met with President Bola Tinubu and key security officials, including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Defence Minister Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oluyede, and Chief of Army Staff Waidi Shaibu, among others.
During the meetings, both sides reviewed shared security interests, particularly strategies to combat terrorist groups that threaten Nigeria, the wider West African region, and international stability.
Anderson confirmed that some US forces were already operating in Nigeria under an expanded bilateral security framework, though he declined to specify their exact number. He added that the additional troops would focus mainly on intelligence operations and advisory support rather than direct combat roles.
The announcement follows US missile strikes on suspected terrorist hideouts in Bauni forest, Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, on Christmas Day.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the airstrikes were based on coordinated intelligence sharing and aligned with existing international security agreements between both countries.
