Washington has confirmed the deployment of a small contingent of United States military personnel to Nigeria, in a move framed as a targeted effort to bolster the country’s fight against entrenched jihadist groups in its northern regions.

US Africa Command officials said the deployment was carried out in close coordination with the Nigerian government and is focused on strengthening counterterrorism capabilities. While American officials declined to disclose the exact size of the team or provide a detailed breakdown of its mission, defense sources describe it as a limited, specialized presence rather than a large-scale combat force.

The mission is expected to center on intelligence sharing, advisory support and possibly training for Nigerian security forces confronting insurgent factions linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. These groups have waged a brutal campaign across Nigeria’s northeast and parts of the wider Lake Chad Basin, targeting civilians, security personnel, religious sites and critical infrastructure.

The insurgency has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, creating one of Africa’s most protracted humanitarian crises. Despite years of Nigerian military operations and regional cooperation with neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon, the militants have proved resilient, exploiting porous borders, difficult terrain and local grievances.

US involvement in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts has fluctuated over the past decade, ranging from intelligence and surveillance support to training elite Nigerian units. The latest deployment follows earlier US airstrikes on suspected Islamic State-linked camps in Nigeria’s northeast, conducted in coordination with Abuja. At the time, Washington framed those strikes as part of a broader campaign against Islamic State affiliates across Africa.

Former US President Donald Trump had characterized the violence in Nigeria as a “Christian genocide,” language that drew criticism from analysts who warned it oversimplified a complex conflict driven by a mix of ideology, poverty, governance failures and local disputes. Nigerian officials have consistently stressed that victims of extremist attacks cut across religious and ethnic lines, including Muslims, Christians and traditional communities.

Nigeria’s Defence Minister has acknowledged the presence of US personnel, describing the cooperation as part of ongoing security partnerships, but offered no further operational details. Both governments appear keen to present the deployment as supportive rather than substitutive, emphasizing that Nigerian forces will remain in the lead in all combat operations.