US DELIVERS MILITARY EQUIPMENT TO NIGERIAN AIR FORCE AMID GROWING COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION
Read Time:2 Minute, 23 Second
By Aishat Momoh. O.
The United States has delivered military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force as Washington and Abuja deepen security cooperation aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and other security threats in the region.
The equipment was transported by a United States Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and delivered at locations in Lagos and Kainji.
The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) disclosed the development on Thursday, saying the equipment was supplied under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement between the United States and Nigeria.
“PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION: A U.S. Air Force C-17 delivers equipment to the Nigerian Air Force this weekend. The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement that furthers the U.S.-Nigerian partnership and will aid in Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region,” AFRICOM said.
Images released through the US Department of Defense’s visual information platform, DVIDS, showed the C-17 and personnel involved in the offloading operation in Lagos and Kainji.
AFRICOM, however, did not disclose the type, quantity or value of the military equipment delivered.
The command stressed that the support was provided at Nigeria’s invitation and was intended to strengthen Nigerian-led counterterrorism operations while respecting the country’s sovereignty.
The latest delivery comes less than a month after Nigerian and US officials held high-level discussions in Washington to review their security partnership.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, led a Nigerian delegation to the second session of the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group on August 13.
The meeting, which followed an earlier session held in Abuja in January, focused on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, protection of vulnerable communities, terrorism financing, border security, internally displaced persons and military-to-military cooperation.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting also provided an opportunity to review the two countries’ defence roadmap and determine the next phase of security collaboration.
The latest equipment delivery comes amid an expansion of US-Nigeria counterterrorism cooperation.
In May, AFRICOM, in coordination with the Nigerian Government, conducted an operation against ISIS in northeastern Nigeria that killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, whom the command described as the group’s director of global operations, alongside other senior ISIS leaders.
AFRICOM subsequently conducted additional strikes against ISIS targets in northeastern Nigeria in coordination with Abuja.
The growing military cooperation follows tensions in the Nigeria-US relationship over security and religious freedom issues late last year.
US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” on October 31, 2025, under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Despite differences over the characterisation of Nigeria’s security challenges, both countries have continued to strengthen engagement on counterterrorism and national security.
The evolving partnership has increasingly focused on Nigerian-led military operations supported by US intelligence, training, specialised capabilities and military equipment rather than a large permanent US combat presence.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0