The US is preparing to withdraw about 200 troops from Nigeria by late September.
The decision follows reported gains against ISIS and other Islamist militants in the region.
Washington says its intelligence and counterterrorism partnership with Nigeria will continue despite the troop reduction.
The United States is preparing for a major change in its military presence in Nigeria, with about 200 American troops expected to leave the country by late September after a deployment that US officials say delivered significant counterterrorism gains.
The planned withdrawal could mark the end of the larger US military presence recently established in Nigeria, but Washington is not walking away from its security partnership with Abuja. Read Original
Why America Is Pulling Back Its Troops
According to The New York Times, the Pentagon intends to withdraw the troops by the end of September.
The American personnel were deployed earlier this year to assist Nigerian forces battling Islamist militants, with their activities focused largely on intelligence-sharing, training and other counterterrorism support.
Despite the relatively small size of the deployment, American and Nigerian officials reportedly said it produced important results.
One of the biggest areas of progress was intelligence cooperation, which helped strengthen counterterrorism operations involving Nigerian forces.
The reported success is now raising an important question: if the mission worked, why is the US withdrawing the troops?
The answer appears to be a shift toward a smaller American footprint rather than the complete withdrawal of US support.
US Troops May Leave, But Support Remains
The departure of the larger contingent is not expected to end American military cooperation with Nigeria.
Small teams of US trainers and intelligence analysts are expected to remain in the country, allowing Washington to continue supporting Nigerian security forces without maintaining the same level of troop deployment.
American officials have reportedly regarded the Nigerian operation as a potential model for future counterterrorism missions in Africa.
Instead of deploying large numbers of American troops, the approach places greater emphasis on intelligence, training and strengthening local forces.
For Nigeria, that could mean continued access to American intelligence and expertise even as the number of US personnel on the ground falls sharply.
The ISIS Operation That Changed the Picture
The planned withdrawal comes after a significant operation in the Lake Chad Basin in May.
The operation killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of ISIS.
The strike was followed by a reduction in the number of American personnel in Nigeria.
US Africa Command commander Dagvin Anderson later confirmed that many US troops had already been pulled back following the operation.
Anderson said the May operation had significantly damaged the leadership structure of ISIS, both in Nigeria and globally.
He also said Nigeria had remained “very active” since the operation, particularly in efforts to prevent terrorist groups from becoming capable of sustaining their own operations independently.
What This Means for Nigeria
The troop reduction comes at a time when Nigeria continues to face security challenges from Islamist militant groups, particularly in the northeast and the wider Lake Chad region.
However, the US withdrawal does not appear to signal the collapse of security cooperation between the two countries.
American intelligence cooperation with Nigeria is expected to continue, while trainers and analysts could remain involved in supporting Nigerian security operations.
This could become increasingly important as Nigeria takes greater responsibility for operations against militant groups while relying on international partners for intelligence and technical support.
Abuja and Washington Still Talking
The development also comes amid broader security discussions between Nigeria and the United States.
Nigeria and the US recently held their second round of talks in Washington under a joint working group focused on the protection of Christian communities in Nigeria's Middle Belt.
The discussions form part of wider security cooperation between Abuja and Washington.
With the planned troop withdrawal, the relationship appears to be entering a new phase one in which the US could rely less on deploying personnel and more on intelligence cooperation, training and support for Nigerian forces.
The key question now is whether Nigeria can build on the gains reported during the American deployment while maintaining pressure on ISIS and other militant groups after the larger US contingent leaves.