US Deploys 100 Military Personnel to Nigeria

The United States deployed 100 military personnel to northeastern Nigeria on 16 February 2026, stationed at a base in Bauchi State. The soldiers were tasked with providing training, technical support, and intelligence-sharing to assist the Nigerian military in its counterinsurgency operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP. They formed the first batch of an expected 200-person deployment.

The deployment marked a significant deepening of US-Nigeria military cooperation and came as the northeast faced escalating attacks from militant groups. The move was part of broader Western engagement with Nigeria’s security challenges, following years of strained military relations over human rights concerns.