Around 200 U.S. troops are being deployed to Nigeria to help train the country’s military in combating Islamist militant groups, a U.S. official confirmed on Tuesday.
The deployment follows President Donald Trump’s recent authorization of airstrikes targeting Islamic State positions in the region. While a small U.S. military team was already in Nigeria, last week marked the first official acknowledgment of American forces on the ground after the Christmas Day air raids.
The new personnel are meant to reinforce a limited number of U.S. staff already assisting Nigerian forces in strengthening counterterrorism efforts. U.S. Africa Command has not yet commented on the latest troop movement.
Washington has criticized Nigeria for allegedly failing to protect Christian communities in the northwest from militant attacks, a claim Nigerian authorities deny. Officials insist that military operations target armed groups threatening both Christian and Muslim populations.
Nigeria continues to face persistent attacks from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including assaults on military convoys and civilians. The northwest remains a focal point in the country’s 17-year fight against Islamist insurgency.
With a population of over 230 million, Nigeria is religiously diverse, with Christians primarily in the south and Muslims mainly in the north, shaping the nation’s complex social and security dynamics.