The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has confirmed the deployment of a small team of U.S. military personnel to Nigeria to enhance joint efforts against Islamist militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). The move, announced on February 3, 2026, marks the first public acknowledgment of U.S. forces on Nigerian soil since coordinated airstrikes on December 25, 2025, targeting ISIS affiliated militants in Sokoto State.

General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander of AFRICOM, revealed the deployment during a press briefing, describing it as part of deepened U.S.-Nigeria collaboration amid escalating terrorist threats in West Africa. “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson said. He emphasized that the team would provide specialized support, though details on size, exact roles, or duration remain undisclosed.

The deployment follows a series of recent developments in Nigeria’s long running jihadist insurgency, which began in 2009 and has claimed tens of thousands of lives while displacing millions in the northeast and northwest regions. Recent incidents include simultaneous attacks on three churches in Kaduna State last month, resulting in 168 abductions, and persistent violence from ISWAP and Boko Haram splinter factions.

The December 25, 2025, U.S. airstrikes conducted with Nigerian intelligence support targeted ISIS militants in Sokoto State, killing several fighters. Those operations were authorized amid heightened U.S. concerns over attacks on civilians, particularly Christians, though the Nigerian government has rejected claims of systematic religious persecution, asserting that militants target people across faiths.

Nigeria’s Defense Minister Christopher Musa confirmed the U.S. team’s presence but offered no further details. A former U.S. official indicated the deployment focuses on intelligence gathering and enabling Nigerian forces to conduct more precise operations against terrorist groups. The team is described as bringing “unique capabilities,” potentially including advisory support, surveillance expertise, or specialized training.

The move builds on existing U.S.-Nigeria security cooperation, which includes military equipment deliveries, reconnaissance flights from neighboring Ghana since late 2025, and prior joint efforts. It comes after diplomatic tensions, including U.S. designations of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom issues claims Nigeria disputes, noting that armed groups attack indiscriminately.

The insurgency remains concentrated in the northeast (Borno, Yobe, Adamawa) and has spread to the northwest, with ISWAP emerging as a more sophisticated threat through ambushes on military convoys and civilian targets. The U.S. team is not positioned for direct combat but to augment Nigerian-led operations, aligning with AFRICOM’s broader counterterrorism strategy in Africa.

No timeline for the deployment’s end has been provided, and officials stress it is limited in scope to avoid perceptions of foreign occupation. The announcement has drawn mixed reactions in Nigeria, with some welcoming enhanced support against terrorism and others expressing concerns over sovereignty amid ongoing debates about foreign military involvement.

AFRICOM and Nigerian authorities have not released further operational details as of February 4, 2026. The deployment underscores continued international focus on Nigeria’s security challenges, as the country grapples with one of Africa’s longest-running insurgencies.