Bola Tinubu, President of Nigeria, received a United States military delegation at the presidential villa in Abuja. The meeting occurred on February 8, 2026.
Delegation Composition
General Dagvin R. Anderson, Commander of United States Africa Command, led the delegation. Other members included Keith Heffern, Charge d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria; Garric M. Banfield, Command Sergeant Major; and Peter Vrooman, Senior Foreign Policy Adviser for AFRICOM.
Nigerian officials present featured Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser; Christopher Musa, Minister of Defence; Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff; Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Army Staff; Emmanuel Uandiandeye.
In addition, Chief of Defence Intelligence; Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency; and Tosin Ajayi, Director-General of the Department of State Services.
Key Discussions
Participants discussed deepening cooperation against terrorist threats in West Africa. Additionally they addressed recent U.S. support, including airstrikes on Islamic State targets in December 2025 and surveillance flights from Ghana since November 2025.
The talks followed a prior meeting between Anderson and Tinubu in Rome late in 2025.
Statements and Commitments
Anderson stated, “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, to include a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years.” He withheld details on the team’s size or role but emphasized support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
Broader Context
The U.S. deployed the team on February 3, 2026, marking the first official military presence since the airstrikes. However no specific outcomes emerged from the Aso Rock meeting beyond pledges for enhanced collaboration.
