…AFRICOM: Nigeria Capable, Committed; Model for U.S, W. Africa Engagement
By Jeremy Fregene
The United States has deployed a special forces team to Nigeria, significantly deepening military cooperation with Abuja as both countries intensify efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating across Nigeria and the wider West African sub-region.
The confirmation came on Tuesday from the Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, during a digital news conference, where he disclosed that the elite U.S. team was already on the ground in Nigeria.
Anderson said the deployment followed high-level engagements with President Bola Tinubu, including talks held in Rome, after which the Nigerian leader approved U.S. airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Nigeria on Christmas Day.
According to the AFRICOM chief, both governments agreed that defeating terrorism in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region required tighter coordination and the deployment of “unique capabilities” that only the United States could provide.
“Our partnership with Nigeria is a great example of a willing and capable partner that requested the unique capabilities that only the U.S. can bring,” Anderson said. “We assist with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, intelligence fusion, and when we bring that together, we are much more effective in countering these threats.”
He explained that the enhanced collaboration had now resulted in the deployment of a small U.S. special team to augment Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations, though he declined to disclose details of the unit’s composition or specific mandate.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States to support what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” he said.
Anderson stressed that wherever the U.S. finds a capable and committed partner, such as Nigeria, the fusion of American and local capabilities significantly boosts the chances of success against terrorist groups.
He said the partnership with Nigeria had become a model for U.S. engagement in West Africa, adding that his deputy recently visited Nigeria with a high-level delegation from the U.S. State Department, led by Allison Hooker, to further strengthen cooperation.
The AFRICOM commander warned that West Africa and the Sahel were facing mounting pressure from terrorist organisations, including Islamic State, al-Qaida and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), noting that the groups were increasingly threatening regional capitals and pushing southward toward coastal states.
He said his recent tour of countries along the Gulf of Guinea reinforced the urgency of coordinated regional responses, as terrorist violence continued to expand across borders.
According to Anderson, AFRICOM’s counterterrorism strategy prioritises close coordination with African partners, stressing that collective action was critical to long-term security.
“Being able to counter these threats together has been, and remains, critical to our future,” he said.
Beyond Nigeria and West Africa, Anderson noted that AFRICOM continued counterterrorism campaigns across the continent, citing Somalia as a key theatre where ISIS had emerged as a major threat alongside the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab.
He said sustained U.S. airstrikes, combined with surveillance and logistical support, had enabled Somali forces to shrink ISIS-controlled territory and force its leadership underground.
In a further show of expanding U.S. military engagement on the continent, Anderson announced that the United States would host the largest joint military exercise spanning Africa, Europe and the Middle East, African Lion 2026, in Morocco in May.
The exercise will involve forces from 19 African countries, six European nations, and partners from the Middle East and Latin America, bringing together more than 30 military contingents. He said the drills, which coincide with the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, would underscore the scale of multilateral cooperation aimed at countering shared security threats.