Tinubu meets USAFRICOM chief as U.S. deepens counterterrorism cooperation with Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has received a United States delegation led by the Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. Anderson, at the State House in Abuja.

The meeting was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun.

Tinubu welcomed the delegation alongside the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the service chiefs.

Members of the delegation included General Anderson and his team, as well as the Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern.

According to the statement, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside his National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and service chiefs, received in audience the Commander, General Dagvin Anderson, his team, and the Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern, at the State House.”

The meeting comes amid reports that the United States deployed a small number of troops to Nigeria on February 3, marking the first confirmed U.S. military presence on the ground since airstrikes targeted terrorist locations in the country on Christmas Day 2025.

The deployment followed an order by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the airstrikes were aimed at “Islamic State targets” and indicated that further military action could follow.

Before the deployment, U.S. forces had reportedly been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since at least November 2025, providing intelligence support ahead of the December strikes.

Speaking on the development, General Anderson said the move was part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between both countries in addressing rising terrorist threats in West Africa.

“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” he said.

He did not disclose the size or specific role of the team but noted that it would support Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.