Joint Nigerian/US training strengthens capacity

Joint training involving elements of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) and the United States (US) is aimed at sharing military expertise, strengthening partner capacity and building relationships.

Operating Location (OL) Bauchi in north-eastern Nigeria is, as per a US military Africa Command (Africom) statement, the venue for US forces to support a broader Nigeria/US security co-operation mission designed to strengthen shared readiness, enhance military capability and build long term partner capacity. Combined training, advising, intelligence sharing and professional exchanges sees US and Nigerian forces work together in addressing shared security challenges and improving inter-operability. Notwithstanding individual US teams performing different functions, both countries contribute to the broader partnership between the US and Nigeria, Africom said.

Training at Bauchi included combat lifesaver and tactical combat casualty care instruction, weapons familiarisation, camouflage, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small unit tactics and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) training.

Rather than a predetermined curriculum, training opportunities are developed based on available US expertise and areas Nigerian partners identify as beneficial, Africom said.

Captain Gabriel Feingold, a logistics officer assigned to US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa and operations officer at OL Bauchi, said US units identify training they are capable of providing and co-ordinate those opportunities with Nigerian leadership. The approach, according to him, allows training to draw on US capabilities at Bauchi while responding to areas of interest identified by Nigerian forces.

One area generating particular interest was UAS.

Sergeant Mark Murphy, an intelligence analyst assigned to the 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, led 10 Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment soldiers through UAS training at OL Bauchi.

The event began with 45 minutes of instruction before transitioning to hands-on training. Murphy introduced the Nigerian service members to the system, explained its operation and discussed techniques US personnel used while employing UAS at OL Bauchi.

Murphy said the system was relatively easy to learn. After instruction on basic controls, participants were able to begin operating the aircraft themselves.

Training went beyond learning how to operate the aircraft with Murphy discussing techniques for employing UAS and how information collected by the system can be incorporated into operations.

For Murphy, leading the training also provided an opportunity to exercise a responsibility he considers fundamental to being a non-commissioned officer.

“I love training soldiers,” Murphy said. “I think it’s one of the main jobs of the NCO corps in the Army, to train soldiers and make them ready.”

Murphy said the fundamentals of teaching remain the same regardless of the subject or who is receiving the instruction. “It goes back to the importance of teaching soldiers fundamentals that can be applied to any kind of discipline,” he said.

Beyond developing technical skills, the training created opportunities for US and Nigerian service members to interact more directly. Feingold said the interactions are particularly valuable for personnel who may not otherwise routinely work with their Nigerian counterparts.

Murphy noticed a change after the UAS training. Many Nigerian personnel who attended the class already worked with US service members at OL Bauchi, but the training gave them another point of connection.

Additional training opportunities are developed at OL Bauchi as all involved continue identifying areas where personnel can share expertise and train together.

The United States has significantly escalated its military involvement in Nigeria since late 2025, shifting from a primarily advisory and training role to direct combat operations—including airstrikes and special forces raids—against Islamic State affiliates in the country’s northeast and northwest. This marks the first time US forces have conducted unilateral strikes on Nigerian soil and deployed ground troops in an operational capacity beyond training.

On 25–26 December 2025, Africom launched 16 Tomahawk cruise missile strikes and MQ-9 Reaper drone attacks targeting Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Lakurawa jihadist positions in Sokoto State, northwest Nigeria.

In early February 2026, the US deployed a small team of specialists to Nigeria, growing to roughly 200 troops by mid-to-late February. These personnel included intelligence analysts, special operations advisers, and military trainers, officially operating under Nigerian command and focused on training, technical support, and intelligence sharing—not direct combat.

On 15–16 May, the US and Nigeria began a joint military offensive in northeastern Nigeria (Lake Chad Basin), combining special forces raids and multiple rounds of airstrikes against ISWAP and Boko Haram. Nigerian authorities reported 175 militants killed, with destruction of checkpoints, weapons caches, logistics hubs, and financing networks. The operation also killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the global deputy leader of ISIS, in May 2026.

By 3 July, Africom confirmed the withdrawal of most US forces deployed for the May offensive, retaining only an intelligence-sharing and advisory presence at Nigeria’s request.