Why US–Nigeria Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Remains Critical To Defeating Insurgency

By Zagazola Makama

The ongoing United States–Nigeria counter-terrorism operations are critical not only to degrading terrorist networks, but also to helping the international community, particularly the U.S., better understand the scale, complexity and human cost of Nigeria’s long-running war against terrorism.

Nigeria has battled multiple terror and extremist groups for over a decade, with attacks spanning the North-East, North-West and North-Central zones, claiming thousands of lives, displacing millions and overstretching security and humanitarian resources.

Therefore, deeper operational cooperation allows the U.S. to see firsthand the terrain, tactics and evolving threat environment Nigerian forces contend with daily from suicide bombings and IED warfare to cross-border terrorism, banditry and extremist collaboration.

Joint operations provide a clearer picture of what Nigeria is passing through. It is different from reading intelligence reports. When partners operate together, there is a better appreciation of the sacrifices, the operational difficulties and the resilience required to fight terrorism in this environment.

Though, nothing new in what the Nigeria Air Force was already doing but the cooperation, will enhanced intelligence sharing, surveillance, training and technical support, while also improving Nigeria’s capacity to disrupt terrorist logistics, communication and financing networks.

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Nigeria brings critical advantages to the partnership, including local knowledge, community structures and long-term operational presence, while the U.S. contributes advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, precision strike support and global counter-terrorism experience.

This synergy will help narrow intelligence gaps, improve early warning systems and strengthen the ability of Nigerian forces to respond to threats more proactively. Beyond military gains, the partnership helps place Nigeria’s security challenges in proper global context, correcting misconceptions that often underestimate the intensity of terrorist violence in the country.

The collaboration helps the U.S. and other international partners understand that Nigeria is not facing isolated incidents but a sustained, multi-front war. That understanding is essential for sustained diplomatic, technical and humanitarian support, rather than the rhetoric being purported about the conflict.

The partnership also sends a strong message to terrorist groups that Nigeria is not isolated in its fight, and that attacks on civilians and security personnel attract international attention and consequences.

However, counter-terrorism cooperation must go beyond kinetic operations. Those executing these operations must put emphasized on the  importance of civilian protection, community engagement and post-conflict stabilisation, as lasting peace cannot be achieved through force alone.