In early 2025, the United States deployed about 200 troops to northeastern Nigeria to help the country fight Islamist militants. By April, most of those soldiers had withdrawn, with the US declaring the joint operation a success. But the Islamic State (IS) group, which has shifted its focus to sub-Saharan Africa, continues to stage attacks in the region.
The US and Nigeria launched a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin area in December 2024, involving strikes against militants on Christmas Day. The operation was followed by the deployment of around 200 US troops in February 2025. During the months-long mission, senior IS leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was killed. On 17 April 2025, General Dagvin Anderson, Commander of US Air Forces in Africa, said the operation had “significantly degraded” IS leadership in Nigeria, disrupting both its local command structure and its wider global network, limiting its ability to communicate.
“Why the US deployed and withdrew troops from Nigeria to fight Islamic State, and what it means for the region.”
Islamic State has radically shifted its operations in recent years. Analysts say that around 90% of its attacks now take place in sub-Saharan Africa. Its Nigeria-based branch is by far the most active. Nigeria faces multiple security challenges beyond IS: banditry and criminal violence have spread from the north into central and southern parts of the country.
Military cooperation between Nigeria and the US increased after Washington accused Nigerian authorities of not doing enough to protect vulnerable groups against Islamist militants, and alleged there was a “Christian genocide” in the country. Nigeria has firmly rejected this claim, saying the violence is complex and affects people from all communities. Organisations monitoring political violence in Nigeria say most victims of jihadist groups are Muslims because they mostly operate in the north, where the majority of the population follows Islam.
Q: Why did US troops withdraw from Nigeria? The US said the joint operation had been a success and that IS leadership in Nigeria had been “significantly degraded”. Intelligence-sharing between the two countries will continue. A small number of US military personnel who were stationed in Nigeria before the Lake Chad Basin operation remain in the country.
Q: How strong is Islamic State in Nigeria? IS’s Nigeria-based branch is the most active of the group’s affiliates globally. Around 90% of all IS attacks now occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite the recent operation, jihadist groups continue to stage attacks, especially in north-eastern Nigeria.
Q: What are the US allegations about Christian persecution?nThe US government accused Nigerian authorities of insufficiently protecting vulnerable groups and claimed there was a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. Nigeria rejected this, arguing the violence is complex and multi-communal. Monitoring groups note that most victims of jihadist groups in the north are Muslims.
What happens next depends on how effectively Nigeria can contain the remaining threat. The country’s military spokesperson told the BBC that the withdrawal of US soldiers would “not affect our momentum in any way”. However, jihadist groups remain active, and the underlying drivers of conflict—poverty, weak governance, and intercommunal tensions—persist. The US has said it will maintain intelligence-sharing, but the scale of on-the-ground support has been reduced.