By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 drones alongside approximately 200 troops to Nigeria to bolster intelligence gathering and training for the Nigerian military amid ongoing counterinsurgency operations in the country’s northern region.
Officials from both nations confirmed that the mission is strictly limited to surveillance and advisory support, with no US personnel embedded in frontline units or conducting drone airstrikes.
“The U.S. military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the military,” US and Nigerian officials told Reuters.
According to the news agency’s Saturday report, the deployment was requested by Nigerian authorities to assist in identifying, tracking, and responding to terrorist threats.
A US defense official described the effort as a response to a “shared security threat,” emphasizing that the mission is confined to intelligence collection and advisory roles. Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that US forces 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,” Uba said. “Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities.”
The MQ-9 Reaper drones deployed are capable of loitering at high altitude for over 27 hours and can perform both surveillance and strike missions. However, US and Nigerian officials clarified that the aircraft are currently being used exclusively for intelligence gathering. “Our US forces are helping Nigeria identify, track and respond to terrorist threats,” Uba added, without detailing specific operations.
The deployment comes amid escalating violence in Nigeria’s northeast and northwest. On March 16, suicide bombers attacked a garrison town in the northeast, underscoring the persistent threat posed by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). “We continue to assess that these organisations will seek opportunistic targets and may attempt to demonstrate relevance through high-visibility attacks,” Uba noted.
The Nigerian military stated that the duration of the US deployment will be determined in coordination with American partners. The mission reflects a deepening focus on intelligence-sharing and capacity-building in response to evolving insurgent threats across northern Nigeria.
This latest deployment follows a series of recent US military engagements in the country. In February, approximately 200 US troops were deployed to provide training and operational support, a move that came weeks after President Donald Trump criticized Nigeria over the protection of Christian communities from terrorist attacks.
Prior to that, in December, US airstrikes authorized by President Trump targeted ISIS-linked militants in northwestern Nigeria—an operation the Nigerian government confirmed as part of a coordinated security partnership with international allies.
