The United States has withdrawn most of the military personnel deployed to Nigeria earlier this year for a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin, while maintaining intelligence sharing and broader security cooperation with Nigerian forces.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the Commander of US Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa, Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, during a virtual briefing after the 2026 African Chiefs of Defense Conference.
Anderson said the operation had achieved its immediate objectives, noting that most of the troops assigned to the mission had already left Nigeria.
“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks,” he said.
He added that the operation in the Lake Chad Basin contributed to disrupting the ISIS network, describing the outcome as beneficial both regionally and globally.
Anderson also commended Nigeria as a strong security partner, highlighting its military capacity and role in regional counterterrorism efforts.
He said intelligence support provided by the US, combined with Nigerian military operations, helped in targeting a senior figure within the global ISIS network.
According to him, future cooperation will focus on leveraging US capabilities to enhance partner effectiveness in combating terrorism and other security threats.
The US general also called for stronger intelligence sharing among African nations to address terrorism, illicit trafficking and other cross-border crimes.
About 200 US military personnel were deployed to Nigeria in February to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin, where ISWAP and Boko Haram-linked groups remain active despite ongoing military campaigns.
The Lake Chad region, which spans Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, continues to face persistent extremist violence. Nigeria has battled an insurgency in its north-east since 2009, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, according to humanitarian agencies.
