The United States is preparing to send 200 military personnel to Nigeria to assist in training local forces battling Islamist extremist groups.
According to a military official who spoke to The Wall Street Journal, the deployment will take place in stages over the coming weeks. The American troops are expected to operate from several locations across Nigeria, focusing on instruction, coordination and operational support.
Nigerian officials emphasized that the U.S. forces will not participate in direct combat missions. Instead, their role will center on providing technical expertise, particularly in coordinating air and ground operations.
Washington’s decision to deepen its engagement comes amid growing alarm over persistent Islamist violence in Nigeria. Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to stage deadly attacks across parts of the country.
Nigerian military spokesman Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba confirmed that Abuja formally requested the expanded U.S. assistance as part of ongoing counterterrorism cooperation.
A spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command called the threat from West African terror groups serious and ongoing, saying that the U.S. is seeking to work with capable partners in the region to address common security challenges.
The planned deployment follows a U.S. military action on Dec. 25, when an American warship fired missiles at two suspected Islamic State encampments in Nigeria.
U.S. officials have acknowledged that a limited American presence was already operating in the country. The additional 200 troops will expand that footprint, with an emphasis on improving Nigerian forces’ ability to integrate intelligence into tactical operations.
Strains between Washington and Abuja intensified late last year after President Donald Trump accused Nigerian authorities of failing to prevent mass killings of Christians. Trump labeled the violence “genocide” and warned that U.S. aid reductions or increased military pressure could follow if attacks persisted.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected those accusations, asserting that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from the insurgency and denying claims of government bias.
Meanwhile, U.S. surveillance operations over Nigeria have been ongoing since at least November, with reconnaissance flights conducted from neighboring Ghana as part of broader intelligence efforts, Reuters has reported.
Nigeria’s armed forces remain engaged in heavy fighting in the northwest, where militant attacks on civilians and security personnel have intensified in recent months.
Data cited by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law — a Nigerian advocacy group led by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi — estimates that Islamist militants killed approximately 43,000 Christians and 29,000 Muslims between 2009 and 2021.
According to the 2026 World Watch List published by Open Doors, 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians reported killed worldwide for their faith during the most recent reporting period were in Nigeria, underscoring the scale of the crisis in the West African nation.
