US Pentagon to Send 200 Soldiers to Nigeria to Train Military Against Islamist Insurgents

The US Department of Defense has announced plans to deploy about 200 American troops to Nigeria to assist in training the West African country’s military amid ongoing security challenges.

The Pentagon confirmed that the deployment, expected to take place in the coming weeks, will focus on training, technical guidance, and intelligence support for Nigerian armed forces combating Islamist militant groups. The United States will not deploy these troops into direct combat operations, US and Nigerian military officials said.

Ejes Gist News reports that the additional personnel will build on a smaller contingent of US forces already present in Nigeria, whose presence was publicly confirmed earlier this month by General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). The existing team has been engaged in intelligence collaboration and support activities.

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US officials described the expanded deployment as a scaling up of bilateral military cooperation, driven in part by Nigeria’s request for increased support. Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Major General Samaila Uba said the troops will assist with training and coordinating complex operations, including helping Nigerian forces improve planning and execution.

The move comes amid intensifying violence from Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), as well as other militant factions that have sustained a years-long insurgency in Nigeria’s northern regions. These groups have repeatedly attacked both military and civilian targets, contributing to one of the most persistent security crises on the African continent.

Officials noted that President Donald Trump’s administration has increasingly pressed for deeper engagement with Nigeria’s security apparatus. This diplomatic context includes earlier US airstrikes against militant camps in the country and strong US criticism of Nigeria’s handling of internal insecurity.

Nigerian authorities have emphasised that the deployment respects the country’s sovereignty, and that cooperation with the United States is designed to enhance Nigeria’s ability to address domestic terrorism threats. A US Africa Command spokeswoman confirmed that the additional troops are intended to supplement existing support activities, with a focus on intelligence, planning, and logistical assistance rather than frontline combat.

The reinforcement reflects Washington’s strategic interest in counter-terrorism collaboration in West Africa and seeks to bolster the capacity of regional partners to address extremist threats that have regional spill-over effects.