The US has withdrawn the majority of its military personnel deployed to Nigeria for a joint counter-terrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin while maintaining intelligence sharing and other security cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander of the US Air Forces in Africa, made the announcement during a virtual press briefing on the results of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026. He stated that the relationship between Washington and Abuja remained active, particularly in intelligence efforts against the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region, but it also helps countries globally as that disrupts the ISIS network,” Anderson said.
“And so, then we have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence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 general praised Nigeria as a crucial regional partner with a capable military, claiming that cooperation between the two countries has resulted in significant successes in the war against ISIS.
He applauded intelligence cooperation between the two countries with enabling an operation that killed the second-highest-ranking official in the worldwide ISIS network.
“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 learnt in the counterterrorist fight over several years that we were able to assist with and integrate with them to help them with their intelligence and help with the intelligence sharing that eventually led to a cooperative effort 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 organisation who is responsible for much of their global operations, their global media, and their recruiting,” he said.
Anderson stated that the exercise demonstrated the value of intelligence sharing over long-term 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.
He also advocated for more intelligence collaboration among African countries to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, and other cross-border crimes.
The US commander mentioned a recent international operation that intercepted a record 31-tonne cargo of cocaine originating in South America and moving across the West African coastline, stating that good intelligence sharing enabled the seizure.
“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 tonnes of cocaine on it, and it turns out to be the largest interdiction of drugs at sea that we’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.
He noted that continued coordination among African governments, international allies, and private-sector partners would be critical in addressing security concerns while supporting economic growth and attracting investment across the continent.
In February 2026, the United States dispatched approximately 200 military personnel to Nigeria to assist with intelligence, surveillance, and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin, as both countries increased collaboration against ISIS and other extremist groups operating in the region.
The deployment occurred after US President Donald Trump recognised Nigeria as a country of particular concern and promised stronger American help for counterterrorism efforts.
On December 25, 2025, US forces conducted air strikes on two terrorist camps in the Bauni Forest, which is located in the Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The security relationship reached a watershed moment in May 2026, when a joint US-Nigerian operation killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, ISIS’s second-in-command, during a raid on his hideout in Borno State.
