U.S Deploys Drones, Troops to Support Nigeria
Last update: March 21, 2026
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Drones being used for intelligence gathering not airstrikes..
The United States military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside close to 200 troops which provides training and intelligence support to the military battling Islamist militants across the north, U.S. and Nigerian officials told Reuters.
officials from both countries said fhe troops are not embedded with Nigerian frontline units.
The deployment follows U.S. airstrikes targeting militants in northwest Nigeria in November 2025 signaling renewed U.S. involvement in countering insurgencies linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda that are spreading across West Africa.
The United States previously operated a $100 million drone base in neighbouring Niger with around 1,000 troops monitoring militant activity across the Sahel. That base was shut in 2024 after Niger’s military rulers asked Western forces to leave, part of a broader regional shift away from foreign military presence.
A recent suicide attacks in northeastern Borno, underscored the threat posed by a 17-year insurgency, even in urban centres. Militants have also intensified attacks in the northwest near borders with Benin and Niger, where a long-running banditry crisis risks evolving into another Islamist stronghold.
A U.S. defence official said the drones were deployed at Nigeria’s request to enhance intelligence collection. “We see this as a shared security threat,” the official said.
Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that U.S. assets are operating from Bauchi airfield in the northeast.
“This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders,” he said.
“Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities.”
Uba said the duration of the U.S. deployment would be determined jointly by both countries.
MQ-9 drones, also known as Reaper drones, can stay airborne for more than 27 hours and are capable of both surveillance and precision strikes.
Late last year, Reuters reported that U.S. aircraft based in Ghana had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over Nigeria.
