The United States is significantly increasing military equipment deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria as part of a “more aggressive” strategy to dismantle Islamic State-linked networks across Africa, according to a top American general.
Lieutenant General John Brennan, Deputy Commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), told AFP that the increased cooperation marks a shift toward more direct engagement. Under the current Trump administration, the Pentagon has moved toward “kinetically” targeting threats, primarily targeting Islamic State (IS) affiliates from Somalia to the Gulf of Guinea.
“From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So we’re trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need,” Brennan said during an interview in Abuja. “It’s been about more enabling partners and then providing them equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful.”
(PHOTO CREDIT: X @USAfricaCommand)
The surge in cooperation follows a series of surprise U.S. airstrikes on Christmas Day 2024, targeting IS-linked cells in northwest Nigeria. Brennan confirmed that future support would focus on high-level intelligence sharing to assist Nigerian air strikes in the northwest and the northeast, where the long-running insurgency involving Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continues.
Brennan identified ISWAP as the most concerning group in the region, noting that U.S. intelligence would help Nigerian forces track the group’s movement as it attempts to bridge the gap between the Sahel and coastal West Africa.
Despite the military alignment, a diplomatic rift persists. The Trump administration has placed significant pressure on Abuja regarding the killing of Christians in Nigeria—a framing that the Nigerian government and many independent analysts argue oversimplifies the country’s complex ethnic and land-use conflicts.
This tension was evident during a recent Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja. Allison Hooker, a high-ranking State Department official, explicitly urged the Nigerian government to “protect Christians,” a speech that notably omitted mention of the thousands of Muslim victims killed by the same armed groups.
Brennan, however, clarified that U.S. military intelligence would be used to protect all civilians regardless of faith. “Our intelligence will not be limited to protecting Christians,” he told AFP.
“Quiet” Collaboration in the Sahel
While official diplomatic ties have cooled with the “Alliance of Sahel States” (AES)—the junta-led nations of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—Brennan revealed that the U.S. military maintains “off-the-books” communication with their counterparts.
Despite those countries shunning Western influence in favor of Russian partnerships, Brennan stated the U.S. still shares information to help them strike key terrorist targets.
“We still talk to our military partners across the Sahelian states, even though it’s not official,” Brennan said.
No New Bases
Addressing concerns about the U.S. footprint in West Africa following the expulsion of American troops from Niger last year, Brennan dismissed rumors that Washington is seeking a permanent new home for its drone operations.
“We’re not in the market to create a drone base anywhere,” Brennan said. “We are much more focused on getting capability to the right place at the right time and then leaving. We don’t seek long-term basing in any of the western African countries.”
As the U.S. increases its “materiel deliveries” and tactical support, analysts remain cautious. While air power and intelligence provide a tactical edge, experts warn that military solutions alone may struggle to contain groups that thrive on the economic collapse and lack of governance in Nigeria’s rural hinterlands.
