US-Nigeria military partnership rooted in mutual interest — AFRICOM

The United States Africa Command has said its military cooperation with Nigeria is firmly grounded in respect for Nigerian sovereignty and mutual interest, stressing that American forces operate in the country strictly by invitation and within an agreed bilateral framework.

AFRICOM’s Director of Public Affairs, Colonel Rebecca Heyse, stated this during an X Space discussion on Tuesday titled “Strengthening Security Through Strategic Information Sharing: United States and Nigerian Military Partnership Against Terrorism.”

Heyse was unequivocal that the partnership was not an imposition.

“Our operations and cooperation with Nigeria are rooted in fundamental respect for Nigerian sovereignty.We operate strictly by invitation and under the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group framework,” she said.

She said the United States remained committed to the partnership for as long as both countries considered it mutually beneficial.

“As long as there are shared security threats and the framework continues to be of value to both countries, the United States remains committed to the partnership,” she said.

The spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Major General Samiala Uba, reinforced this position from the Nigerian side, making clear that it was Nigeria, not the United States, that determined the scope and duration of the collaboration.

“The cooperation is at the instance of Nigeria. The competencies, specialised capabilities and expertise the United States brings are things we require, and as long as we require them, we will continue to work together under the Joint Working Group framework,” he said.

Uba disclosed that hundreds of Nigerian military personnel were currently undergoing training in the North-east as part of the partnership, describing the benefits as significant.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria are benefiting immensely from this collaboration, including skills development and specialised training. There are many operational lessons we continue to learn through our interaction with the United States,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare also weighed in, crediting the partnership with improving the pace and consistency of Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations.

“We want to thank the US government for the active collaboration they have had with our military.

“Nigeria has seen the war against terror increase in tempo and consistency, and we have recorded massive successes in counter-insurgency operations,” he said.

In November 2025, President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” claiming that Christianity faced an existential threat in the country and that thousands of Christians were being killed by radical Islamists.

On Christmas Day 2025, at Trump’s direction, AFRICOM conducted missile strikes against ISIS militants in Nigeria’s Sokoto State in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

Following the strikes, the United States dispatched around 200 troops to train Nigerian military forces battling Islamist militants.

The partnership has since yielded significant results with the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by some as ISIS’s “second in command” globally.