The US military is expanding materiel deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, Africom’s deputy commander, Lieutenant General John Brennan, told AFP, as part of a broader American push to work with African militaries against Islamic State-linked militants. The Pentagon has also maintained communication with militaries in the junta-led Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
The enhanced cooperation with Abuja follows Washington’s diplomatic pressure on Nigeria over jihadist violence, coinciding with a more aggressive US stance toward IS-linked targets across Africa. Brennan noted that from Somalia to Nigeria, the threat is interconnected, and the US aims to provide partners with intelligence and equipment with fewer restrictions to improve operational success.
The announcement came after the inaugural US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting in Abuja, a month following Christmas Day strikes on IS-linked targets in northwest Nigeria. Brennan emphasized that US intelligence support would not be limited to protecting Christians and would aid Nigerian operations in northwestern Sokoto and the northeast, where Boko Haram and ISWAP remain active.
The US-Nigerian partnership will include full intelligence sharing, tactical guidance, and assistance in procuring equipment. The initial strikes targeted militants linked to Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP), whose presence is increasingly felt in West Africa.
Despite concerns about the effectiveness of air support alone against armed groups thriving in impoverished rural areas, Brennan affirmed that cooperation with Sahelian militaries continues, even without formal partnerships. He clarified that the US does not seek permanent bases in West Africa, focusing instead on deploying capabilities where needed and then withdrawing.
