The United States has begun withdrawing most of its military personnel from Nigeria following the completion of a joint counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin, but officials say the move does not signal an end to security cooperation between both countries.
Instead, the withdrawal marks a shift in strategy, with Washington pledging to continue supporting Nigeria through intelligence sharing and other forms of military collaboration as the fight against terrorism continues.
The announcement was made by the Commander of US Air Forces in Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, during a virtual briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.
According to Anderson, the deployment of US troops was tied to a specific counterterrorism operation, which has now been successfully concluded.
“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks,” he said.
The US commander stressed that Nigeria remains one of Washington’s key security partners in Africa, describing the country’s military as capable and instrumental in regional efforts to combat extremist groups, including the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
He noted that intelligence cooperation between the two countries recently contributed to a major breakthrough in the global fight against terrorism.
According to Anderson, a joint US-Nigerian operation led to the elimination of the second-highest-ranking ISIS leader, a figure responsible for the group’s global operations, media activities and recruitment network.
The development, he said, demonstrates that intelligence-driven partnerships can achieve significant results without requiring prolonged foreign military deployments.
Rather than maintaining a large troop presence, the United States now plans to focus on providing specialised capabilities, intelligence and technical support to help Nigerian security agencies carry out future operations independently.
Anderson also urged African countries to strengthen intelligence cooperation among themselves to tackle terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.
He cited a recent multinational operation that intercepted a record 31-ton shipment of cocaine originating from South America and passing through West Africa, saying coordinated intelligence sharing was critical to the success of the operation.
The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin as both countries expanded efforts against ISIS and other extremist groups operating in the region.
The security partnership reached a major milestone in May 2026, when a joint operation reportedly killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS, during a raid on his hideout in Borno State.
While the withdrawal reduces the visible US military footprint in Nigeria, officials insist the partnership remains active.
VANGUARD