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| Tactical Training |
The United States has intensified military training for Nigerian troops as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries. According to a report by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), American and Nigerian forces are conducting a series of joint training exercises at an operating location in Bauchi State.
The training covers a broad range of critical military skills. Key areas include Combat Lifesaver and Tactical Combat Casualty Care, weapons familiarisation, camouflage techniques, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small-unit tactics, and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
AFRICOM stated that the programme aims to share military expertise, strengthen partner capacity, enhance readiness, and build long-term relationships between service members from both nations. The training opportunities were developed based on the expertise available among US forces and specific areas identified by their Nigerian counterparts as most beneficial.
Unmanned aircraft systems training generated particularly strong interest among the Nigerian personnel. Sergeant Mark Murphy, an intelligence analyst assigned to the 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, led about ten members of the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment through the sessions. The instruction began with approximately 45 minutes of classroom teaching before participants received hands-on experience operating the aircraft. Murphy also taught techniques for employing UAS and integrating the information gathered by the systems into military operations. Nigerian troops expressed enthusiasm for the practical sessions and interest in further training.
Captain Gabriel Feingold, a logistics officer assigned to the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, and the operations officer at the Bauchi location, explained the collaborative approach. “We bring them a list of several different training topics, and they select what they think would be most beneficial for them,” he said.
Beyond technical and operational skills, the joint exercises create opportunities for American and Nigerian service members to build personal relationships and improve interoperability. Feingold noted that these interactions are especially valuable at the lower levels of both forces. When operational commitments and weather permit, personnel from both sides also participate in recreational activities such as basketball and volleyball.
This development follows an earlier disclosure by AFRICOM in July that the United States had withdrawn most of the troops previously deployed to Nigeria for a specific counterterrorism operation. However, the US retained its intelligence-sharing arrangement and broader security partnership with Nigeria.
Additional training opportunities are currently being developed at the Bauchi operating location as both sides continue to identify areas where their personnel can share expertise and train together. The expanded programme underscores the United States’ continued commitment to supporting Nigeria’s security capacity amid persistent challenges such as terrorism, banditry, and other forms of insecurity, while maintaining a cooperative rather than large-scale troop presence.