By Adesina Soyooye
A United States General, Dagvin Anderson, has revealed why troops from his Country are in Nigeria.
A small team of US military specialists is in Nigeria to strengthen the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts. Anderson is the Commander of US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
The General spoke during an on-the-record virtual media briefing.
The deployment of the State, General Anderson said followed high-level discussions he had with Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in 2025. The discussion, he explained, was aimed at deepening security cooperation between the two countries.
He said: “I was able to meet President Tinubu at the Aqaba Process meeting in Rome.
“We shared thoughts and agreed that we needed to work together on a way forward in the region.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years.
He revealed that the initiative is part of “a broader US strategy to assist willing African partners in confronting the growing threat of terrorism, particularly in West Africa.”
The deployed team he said, will provide specialized support in areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It will also be involved in intelligence fusion and operational planning.
The support, the General said, is designed to complement Nigeria’s existing military operations and not to replace them as there will be no US boots on the ground for attacks and/or confrontation.
He said: “Nigeria is a very willing and capable partner.
“When we fuse the unique capabilities that the US can bring with Nigeria’s own efforts, we are much more effective in countering these threats.”
His Deputy Commander he revealed recently visited Nigeria in company with a senior U.S. State Department delegation led by Alison Hooker. The meeting was to review progress and explore additional areas of cooperation.
He said: “I think we’ve had some really good, positive movement there. He also revealed that extremist groups affiliated with ISIS and Al-Qaeda continue are expanding their activities across West Africa, thus posing serious threats to regional stability.
“We clearly see a growing terrorist threat in the Sahel and surrounding regions. International cooperation is essential to reverse the trend”, he said.
The partnership with Nigeria is a model, according to him, of how the United States plans to work with African nations facing similar challenges as Nigeria.
“When we can find a capable and willing partner to work with, and bring our unique capabilities to bear, we see real success in addressing these threats,” Anderson said.
AFRICOM’s Command Senior Enlisted Leader, Sergeant Major Derek Banfield, reinforced the command’s commitment to supporting African partners.
He chipped in: “We are ready and willing to work with partners to address shared security concerns.
“A secure environment leads to stability, and stability creates room for investment and prosperity.”
General Anderson rounded up by saying that US engagement in Nigeria and across Africa is aimed at helping partner-nations achieve long-term security and operational independence.
His words:
“Our goal is to help degrade the threat and create opportunities for development that allow all of us to prosper together.”
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