US drones deployed to Nigeria alongside troops for intelligence, training
US drones have been deployed to Nigeria alongside 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the military. This deployment follows U.S. airstrikes targeting militants in northwest Nigeria in late 2025, showing the U.S. getting back involved in tackling Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies that are spreading across West Africa.
The troops are not integrated within Nigerian units on the frontline, and the drones are collecting intelligence and not carrying out airstrikes. Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that the U.S. was operating assets from Bauchi airfield in the northeast. According to Uba, "This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders," and "Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities." A U.S. defense official said the drones had been deployed alongside troops at the request of the Nigerians to collect intelligence, stating, "We see this as a shared security threat."
The timeline for the U.S. deployment in Nigeria will be determined in agreement by both sides, according to Uba. Uba said that U.S. forces were helping Nigeria "identify, track and respond to terrorist threats". It was not immediately clear who carried out the March 16 attack on the garrison town, which is still being investigated.
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The U.S. military has deployed troops and drones to Nigeria, collaborating with the nation's military. This move signals a shift in strategy - but what does it mean for regional security?
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