The United States government has authorised $413.046 million, equivalent to approximately N587 billion, for counter-insurgency and security operations in Nigeria and other African countries in 2026, underscoring Washington’s strategic commitment to the continent amid escalating security threats.
The funding forms part of the National Defence Authorisation Act for Fiscal Year 2026, approved under Title XLIII – Operation and Maintenance. President Donald Trump signed the sweeping defence legislation into law on 18 December 2025, authorising a total of $901 billion for the US military, including a 4 per cent pay increase for American service members.
The allocation comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with multifaceted security challenges, including insurgency in the Northeast, armed banditry in the North-West, and maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea. The United States Africa Command, commonly known as AFRICOM, has in recent months delivered military equipment to Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing bilateral cooperation aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to address these threats.
Beyond direct funding, the NDAA establishes a Bureau of African Affairs within the US Department of State, to be headed by an Assistant Secretary for African Affairs. The bureau will oversee US foreign policy initiatives and assistance programmes across sub-Saharan Africa, signalling a more structured and centralised approach to American engagement on the continent.
The legislation also mandates comprehensive assessments of Russia’s military presence and strategic objectives across Africa. This includes detailed analysis of Moscow’s overseas military bases, logistics infrastructure, and the potential implications for US operations in the region, reflecting heightened great power competition on the continent.
Kabir Adamu, a security analyst with Beacon Consulting, described the development as a reflection of Africa’s growing geopolitical importance, driven primarily by economic interests and intensifying competition with Russia and China.
“Africa has become a strategic arena due to insecurity, weak state control, and the presence of critical resources,” Adamu stated. He suggested that Nigeria’s strategic location and regional influence could position it as a central point for American engagement in West Africa.
Another analyst, Chidi Omeje, emphasised that Nigeria’s relationship with the United States should be viewed through the lens of partnership rather than dominance or dependency.
“Many of Nigeria’s security challenges are linked to transnational terrorist networks,” Omeje said. “Partnerships with global powers are necessary to address these threats effectively.”
He further noted that Russia’s capacity to assist Nigeria in security matters has been constrained by Moscow’s ongoing military engagement in Ukraine, which has stretched Russian resources and limited its ability to expand influence in Africa.
In Abuja, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, recently called for expanded cooperation with the United States Army to enhance operational effectiveness and institutional capacity within the Nigerian military. During a meeting with the US Defence Attaché, Lieutenant Colonel Semira Moore, Shaibu highlighted the value of American military expertise in both kinetic and non-kinetic operations.
Moore, in turn, reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to sustained collaboration, including capacity building, intelligence sharing, and support for troop welfare initiatives.
The US funding and accompanying policy measures arrive against a backdrop of persistent insecurity across the wider West African region. Recent attacks in Mali and northern Benin have underscored the transnational nature of the threats facing governments in the Sahel and coastal West Africa, further illustrating the broader regional context for American security engagement in Nigeria.
The National Defence Authorisation Act is an annual piece of legislation that sets defence policy and spending priorities for the United States. Its inclusion of specific provisions for Africa reflects a strategic recalibration by Washington, which has increasingly viewed the continent as a critical theatre for both security and economic interests.
Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, has long been considered a key partner for Western governments seeking to maintain influence and stability in the region. The country’s military has received training, equipment, and logistical support from the United States over the years, particularly in the context of counter-terrorism operations against groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
The establishment of the Bureau of African Affairs within the State Department is expected to streamline policy coordination and improve the implementation of assistance programmes across the continent, marking a shift towards a more institutionalised framework for US-Africa relations.
