Nigeria Says 100 US Troops Have Landed to Help Train Its Armed Forces

The U.S. troops will only serve in ‘an advisory and training capacity’ and will not take part in combat operations, a Nigerian official said.

Nigerian soldiers from the Multinational Joint Task Force run at the MNJTF military base, in Monguno, Nigeria, on July 5, 2025. Joris Bolomey/AFP via Getty Images

The United States has dispatched about 100 troops to Nigeria to help train its military and bolster the country’s ability to deter terrorist threats, the Nigerian defense ministry said on Feb. 16.

Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, said in a statement posted by presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare that the deployment was requested by Nigeria to the U.S. government for military training, technical support, and intelligence sharing.