Abuja, Nigeria — The United States will send roughly 200 troops to Nigeria to coach local soldiers facing multiple armed threats, local reports confirmed Wednesday.
The deployment is being finalised even as Washington and Abuja hold unpublicised talks on a possible U. S.
Military base, according to the same accounts.
No timeline for either move has been released. Nigerian officials have not commented publicly, and the U.
S.
Defence Department has yet to confirm the figures. Sources familiar with the discussions describe the proposed training as the largest American security team to operate on Nigerian soil since joint exercises began years ago.
The troops are expected to focus on counter — insurgency tactics aimed at Islamist militants Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Business Insider Africa first disclosed the plan, citing unnamed insiders who linked the larger troop package to renewed negotiations for a more permanent American presence. Previous U.
S. -Nigeria training rotations have averaged fewer than 20 service members; a twelve-man team trained 200 Nigerian soldiers in 2018, according to an archived U. S.
Africa Command communiqué referenced in the reports. Nigeria, ranked Africa’s fifth-strongest military, struggles to curb rebels in the north-east, armed bandits in the north-west and separatist gunmen in the south-east. Analysts note that past limited interventions improved surveillance operations and enabled a handful of American air strikes, but have not halted the violence.
The negotiations have already stoked domestic debate. Several civil-society groups warn against any agreement they say could erode sovereignty, while opposition parliamentarians have demanded the matter be debated on the floor of the National Assembly. Government spokespeople have so far neither confirmed nor denied the talks.
Details of where the troops will be based, how long training will last, and whether any formal base will be established all remain unconfirmed. Further announcements are expected once high-level consultations conclude.
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Source: Africa.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 4*
