The United States has quietly deployed a “small team” of military personnel to Nigeria, marking a notable shift in Washington’s security engagement with Africa’s most populous country and signaling renewed American military attention to the continent more broadly. The move, officially confirmed on February 3 by the head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), comes amid persistent Islamist insurgencies in Nigeria and evolving geopolitical calculations in Washington.

Speaking at a press briefing, AFRICOM commander General Dagvin R. M. Anderson said the deployment followed direct discussions with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and was undertaken at Abuja’s request. According to Anderson, the American contingent brings “unique capabilities” designed to support Nigeria’s long-running counterterrorism operations, particularly against Islamist militant groups operating across the country’s north and northeast.

While the exact size, composition, and mandate of the US team have not been disclosed, Nigerian Defense Minister Christopher Musa confirmed that American forces are currently operating inside the country, though he offered no additional details. The limited information reflects the political sensitivity surrounding foreign military presence in Nigeria, where sovereignty concerns have historically constrained external intervention.

This deployment marks the first official acknowledgment of US troops on the ground in Nigeria since Washington carried out airstrikes against Islamic State-linked militants, including Boko Haram elements, in the country’s northwest on Christmas Day. Those strikes, conducted without extensive public explanation, fueled speculation about a deeper US........

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