The United States is set to withdraw about 200 American troops deployed to Nigeria as part of efforts to combat Islamist militants in the country.
According to a report by The New York Times, the withdrawal is expected to be completed by late September, although Washington is not ending its broader security cooperation with Nigeria.
The report said smaller teams of American military trainers and intelligence personnel would remain in the country to support Nigerian-led counterterrorism operations.
The US increased its military presence in Nigeria in February 2026 following growing security concerns, with American and Nigerian forces working together on intelligence-driven operations targeting extremist groups, particularly in the North-East.
The joint efforts also included an operation in the Lake Chad Basin that resulted in the death of Abu Bilal al-Minuki, whom US officials identified as a senior Islamic State figure and the group’s global second-in-command.
Colonel Becky Heyse, a spokesperson for the Pentagon’s Africa Command, described the collaboration as an effective model for US-Nigeria security cooperation.
“Our recent joint efforts in Nigeria are a prime example of how this tailored, temporary footprint can yield significant security returns,” she said.
According to The New York Times, Washington’s decision to reduce the deployment followed an assessment that the larger contingent had achieved the primary objectives of the mission for which it was deployed.
The planned withdrawal therefore represents a scaling back of the US military footprint rather than an end to American security support for Nigeria, with intelligence sharing, training and other forms of cooperation expected to continue.
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