The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has confirmed the deployment of a small contingent of American troops to Nigeria, officially acknowledging the presence of US forces in the country following airstrikes authorised by President Donald Trump on Christmas Day.
The confirmation, reported by Reuters, marks the first public admission of US boots on the ground in Nigeria since the December 25, 2025 missile strikes on what President Trump described as Islamic State camps in the North-east.
Speaking to reporters, AFRICOM Commander, General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, said the deployment followed a bilateral agreement between Washington and Abuja aimed at strengthening counterterrorism cooperation.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson said, without disclosing the size of the team, its specific mission, or operational locations.
Trump had warned that further military action could follow the Christmas Day strikes. Reports also indicated that the US had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria, with some missions allegedly launched from neighbouring Ghana.
Although both Nigerian and US authorities described the December airstrikes as successful, subsequent reports emerged of unexploded ordnance believed to be remnants of the strikes discovered in civilian-populated areas in parts of Kwara, Niger and Sokoto states.
The airstrikes came weeks after President Trump threatened to go “guns-a-blazing” into what he described as a “now disgraced country,” following Nigeria’s redesignation by the US as a country of particular concern over claims of “Christian genocide.”
The Nigerian government strongly rejected the allegations, insisting that insecurity in the country affects citizens of all faiths. Abuja urged Washington to prioritise practical support for dismantling terrorist networks rather than promoting narratives capable of deepening religious divisions.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, also confirmed the presence of US military personnel in the country but declined to provide further details.
The development comes as Nigeria continues to confront a protracted insurgency by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), both of which have intensified attacks in the North-east while expanding into the North-west and North-central regions already plagued by banditry, communal violence and resource-related conflicts.
