United States military is increasing the delivery of equipment and the sharing of intelligence with Nigeria as part of a broader push to work more closely with African militaries against Islamic State-linked militants, the deputy commander of United States Africa Command has said.
US Army Lieutenant General John Brennan said the renewed cooperation with Nigeria reflects Washington’s growing determination to pursue Islamic State-affiliated groups across the continent, while also responding to concerns over jihadist violence in the country.
Speaking in Abuja on the sidelines of a recent US-Nigeria security meeting, Brennan said the Pentagon has also maintained communication with militaries in junta-led Sahel countries, including Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
According to him, the US military has become more aggressive under the Trump administration in targeting Islamic State-linked threats. He said operations now involve closer collaboration with partners and fewer restrictions on the equipment and capabilities provided to them.
“From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected,” Brennan said. “So we’re trying to dismantle it and then provide partners with the information they need to succeed.”
The comments came weeks after the United States announced Christmas Day airstrikes on Islamic State-linked targets in northwest Nigeria. Brennan said future American support would largely focus on intelligence sharing to support Nigerian air operations in Sokoto State and the northeast, where Boko Haram and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have waged an insurgency since 2009.
He described ISWAP as the most concerning militant group currently operating in the region.
Despite closer military cooperation, diplomatic tensions persist. Washington has recently accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians, a claim rejected by the Nigerian government and independent analysts, who argue that the country’s security challenges cut across religious and ethnic lines.
At the joint working group meeting in Abuja, senior US State Department official Allison Hooker urged Nigeria to protect Christians, a statement that drew criticism for failing to acknowledge Muslim victims of armed violence.
Brennan said US intelligence support would not be limited to protecting any single religious group, stressing that the focus remains on counterterrorism.
Analysts have observed increased US intelligence flights over Nigeria in recent months, though some have questioned whether air support alone can defeat militant groups that benefit from poverty and weak state presence in rural areas.
Brennan said cooperation with Nigeria would cover intelligence sharing, tactical support, and assistance in procuring military equipment. He added that initial US strikes targeted militants linked to Islamic State Sahel Province, a group traditionally active in neighbouring Niger but increasingly seen as spreading toward coastal West African countries, including Nigeria.
The full impact of the strikes remains unclear, with no independent confirmation of militant casualties. Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, recently described the operation as “still a work in progress.”
Beyond Nigeria, Brennan said the US continues to quietly share intelligence with military authorities in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, despite strained relations following coups that toppled civilian governments between 2020 and 2023.
“We still talk to our military partners across the Sahelian states, even though it’s not official,” he said.
He also clarified that the United States is not seeking to establish new military bases in the region following its withdrawal from Niger, adding that Washington has no plans to replace its former drone base in Agadez.
