The United States has taken a step towards strengthening its military collaboration with Nigeria by dispatching a team of military officers to the West African nation. This development was confirmed by General Dagvin R M Anderson, head of the US Africa Command, during a press briefing on Tuesday.
This initiative followed a significant meeting between General Anderson and Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in Rome last year. “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years,” Anderson stated.
The arrival of US military officers in Nigeria marks the latest phase following the US’s airstrikes against ISIS affiliates last December. This collaboration comes amid continuing security challenges within Nigeria and diplomatic tensions over allegations of religious persecution, which Nigeria’s government firmly denies.