The lawmaker representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume, has welcomed increased military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, describing the support as timely in the country’s fight against insurgency.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ndume said the partnership would help address critical resource gaps facing Nigeria’s security forces. He stated, “The fact that the Americans are now helping us fight insurgency is a welcome development. We have been looking for this support for a long time and have made many efforts to get it, but have failed.”
He added, “Now that we have this window of opportunity, we must utilize it. I have complained many times that our major setback in this fight is a lack of certain resources; now, America has agreed to provide those resources free of charge.”
The renewed cooperation follows confirmation by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) that both countries have increased defence collaboration. According to AFRICOM Commander, General Dagvin Anderson, the partnership includes a small US team providing specialised capabilities to support Nigeria’s ongoing operations against terrorist groups.
Although reports suggested the presence of US troops in Nigeria, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) clarified that the engagement is limited to capacity building, intelligence sharing, logistics support, professional military training and strategic dialogue, with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Ndume also emphasised that foreign personnel are not directly involved in combat. “They are not engaging the enemy themselves. Instead, they are providing technological support and training,” he said, adding that the team operates under the leadership and command of the Nigerian military.
The growing partnership comes amid ongoing security challenges in parts of the country, particularly in the North-East, where Nigerian forces continue operations against insurgent groups.
