The United States has begun reducing its military footprint in Nigeria following the completion of a joint counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin, but says it will continue to work closely with Nigerian authorities through intelligence sharing and other security partnerships.
The Commander of US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, announced the development on Thursday during a virtual press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026. He explained that although the temporary deployment of American troops had largely ended, Washington remained committed to supporting Nigeria’s campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
According to Anderson, the recently concluded operation made a significant impact not only on regional security but also on global efforts to weaken the terrorist network.
“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as that disrupts the ISIS network,” Anderson said.
He added that the drawdown of American forces did not signal an end to bilateral security cooperation.
“And so — and then we have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the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 added.
The US Air Force commander praised Nigeria’s military capacity, describing the country as one of America’s strongest security partners in Africa. He noted that intelligence cooperation between both countries had produced one of the most significant counterterrorism successes against ISIS in recent months.
According to Anderson, the collaboration combined Nigeria’s operational capabilities with specialised US intelligence support, ultimately resulting in the elimination of the terrorist group’s second-in-command.
“I think the partnership that we’ve shown recently with Nigeria, where Nigeria’s a very capable and large country — it’s got a strong economy; it’s got a large, educated population; it’s got a very capable military.
“But there are things that we have learned in the counterterrorist fight over several years that we were able to assist and integrate with them to help them with their intelligence and help with the intelligence sharing that eventually led to a cooperative effort to where we were able to bring some unique capabilities that the U.S. brings and be able to prosecute together the number two leader within the ISIS or Daesh organization who is responsible for much of their global operations, their global media, and their recruiting”, he said.
He stressed that future US engagement in Africa would increasingly focus on providing specialised capabilities that enable partner nations to lead security operations themselves, rather than relying on prolonged foreign troop deployments.
“So I think as we go forward, that is an example of how we’re looking at engaging with partners to help them be more effective by only bringing unique U.S. capabilities that allow the partner to be effective in these fights,” he said.
Beyond Nigeria, Anderson urged African countries to strengthen intelligence cooperation to tackle terrorism, organised crime and illicit trafficking across the continent.
He cited a recent multinational operation that disrupted a major drug trafficking network, saying coordinated intelligence sharing was instrumental in intercepting what he described as the largest cocaine seizure ever recorded at sea.
“I was able to coordinate through our interagency in the United States, through AFRICOM, and then notify some of the partners. And eventually it was a Spanish ship that interdicted the ship that had 31 tons of cocaine on it, and it turns out is the largest interdiction of drugs at sea that we’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.
He added that closer collaboration among African governments, international allies and private-sector stakeholders would remain essential to improving security while creating conditions for greater economic growth and investment across the continent.
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. The deployment formed part of expanded security cooperation between Washington and Abuja aimed at combating ISIS and other extremist groups operating in the region.
The deployment followed the redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by U.S. President Donald Trump, who pledged increased American support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
Earlier, on December 25, 2025, US forces carried out air strikes on two terrorist strongholds located in the Bauni Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The joint security partnership recorded one of its biggest achievements in May 2026 when combined US and Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, during an operation at his hideout in Borno State.
(Ripples)