WASHINGTON — The United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over Nigeria, marking the first such flights since U.S. forces withdrew from Niger in 2024. The operations, which ran from November 26 to December 3, are part of a broader increase in security cooperation between Washington and Abuja as Nigeria faces escalating violence from armed groups.
The surveillance flights, launched from a central hub at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, focused on the Lake Chad Basin, the Benin and Niger borders, and northwestern Nigeria. Targets included the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Islamic State Sahel Province, Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wa al Muslimeen, and various bandit strongholds.
U.S. forces had been unable to conduct ISR operations in the region since they departed Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger, which previously hosted U.S. drones. The current missions were contracted through Tenax Aerospace, a private U.S.-based aviation company.
Increased Engagement
The resumption of flights follows a period of high-level engagement between the two nations. U.S. Africa Command drafted plans in late 2025 to target Salafi-jihadi groups in Nigeria, reportedly at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Nigerian officials quickly moved to capitalize on the renewed focus. A high-level Nigerian delegation, led by the national security adviser, met with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Congressman Riley Moore on November 20 to discuss security cooperation.
The special adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu confirmed the positive outcome, stating on November 24 that President Trump had “agreed to deepen security cooperation and intelligence sharing.”
Following this, President Tinubu approved the creation of a U.S.-Nigerian Joint Working Group on November 27. The new framework is expected to strengthen counterterrorism collaboration and could reportedly “allow the U.S. to conduct UAV airstrikes and accelerate the delivery of 12 U.S. military helicopters.”
Nigeria’s national security adviser acknowledged the growing partnership on December 1, noting that the U.S., among other nations, was providing the Nigerian military with “technical support” to combat terrorism.
Mounting Security Challenges
The deepened U.S.-Nigerian security engagement comes as Nigeria grapples with intensifying violence. November saw several high-profile attacks that underscored the severity of the threat:
Brigadier General Ambushed: On November 15, ISWAP militants ambushed and executed a brigadier general, the highest-ranking Nigerian military official killed in several years.
Mass Kidnapping: Bandits kidnapped over 300 children from a Christian school in Niger State on November 21, marking one of the largest kidnappings in recent history.
The mounting external pressure has coincided with internal political and military tensions. President Tinubu replaced several high-ranking military commanders in October following rumored coup plots, which the government denied. In response to the wave of attacks, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, ordered a massive recruitment drive for the Nigerian Armed Forces and police, and accepted the resignation of the country’s minister of defense days later.
