Nigeria Receives 100 US Troops for Anti-Insurgency Training and Advice

Nigerian authorities announced that approximately 100 United States troops have arrived in the country to provide training and advice to local forces combating Islamist insurgent threats.

A spokesman for Nigeria's Defence Headquarters stated that the American personnel will focus on training and advising Nigerian forces and will not engage in direct combat operations.

The deployment comes amid ongoing security challenges in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with around 240 million people, particularly in northern regions plagued by insurgent violence and criminal armed groups. For years, such violence and kidnappings have disrupted communities, leading to international cooperation to bolster military and intelligence capabilities.

Earlier, former U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigerian authorities of failing to protect Christian communities from militant attacks in the country's northwest. Nigeria's government rejected the allegation, asserting that security forces are targeting armed groups responsible for attacks on both Muslim and Christian communities.

Officials emphasized that sustained international cooperation and enhanced local security capacity are essential for stabilizing conflict-affected areas and safeguarding civilians from persistent insurgent violence.