America withdraws 200 troops from Nigeria

The Pentagon is preparing to withdraw about 200 American troops deployed to Nigeria earlier this year to support the fight against Islamist militants, ending a limited mission that Washington says delivered key security gains but failed to eliminate the wider terrorist threat.

The withdrawal, expected by late September, comes after months of joint operations between U.S. and Nigerian forces, including intelligence-sharing missions, special forces training and counterterrorism operations targeting extremist groups in the country.

U.S. officials described the deployment as a potential model for future military partnerships in Africa, arguing that the relatively small force achieved significant results, including the killing of Abu Bilal al-Minuki, a top Islamic State figure, during a joint U.S.-Nigerian raid in May.

Despite those successes, militant attacks have continued across Nigeria, with armed groups carrying out deadly assaults in recent weeks. Security analysts say terrorists remain a major threat, particularly in parts of northern and central Nigeria.

The troops were deployed to northeastern Nigeria in February after U.S. President Donald Trump criticised Nigeria’s handling of terrorist violence, particularly attacks affecting Christian communities.

However, both Christian and Muslim Nigerians have been victims of years of insecurity involving terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and communal conflicts.

The mission strengthened cooperation between Washington and Abuja, with U.S. military officials highlighting improved intelligence coordination and battlefield training as the lasting outcome. A smaller number of American personnel, including trainers and intelligence analysts, will remain in Nigeria after the main contingent leaves.

The Nigerian government has not publicly commented on the planned withdrawal.

The move marks a shift in U.S. strategy away from maintaining large permanent military footprints in Africa toward smaller, temporary deployments focused on specific security objectives.

However, some Nigerian security experts have warned that the withdrawal could create challenges if local forces are unable to sustain the operational momentum built during the partnership.

The U.S.-Nigeria security relationship strengthened significantly after a series of joint counterterrorism operations targeting Islamic State and other extremist networks, but analysts say the long-term stability of the country will depend on Nigeria’s own military capacity and broader efforts to address the causes of insecurity.