The United States has delivered military equipment to Nigeria under an ongoing foreign military sales agreement, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) has confirmed.
AFRICOM said the equipment was delivered over the weekend by a United States Air Force C-17 transport aircraft as part of efforts to strengthen security cooperation between the two countries.
“The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement that furthers the US-Nigerian partnership and will aid in Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region,” AFRICOM said in a post on its official X account on Thursday.
The command did not disclose the type or value of the equipment delivered.
It is also unclear whether the latest shipment is part of the $346 million Foreign Military Sale package approved by the US State Department in August 2025. The package included munitions, precision bombs and precision rockets intended to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism and efforts against illicit arms trafficking.
The latest delivery adds to a series of US military sales to Nigeria over the past decade.
Between 2017 and 2022, the US approved major defence sales to Nigeria, including 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft valued at about $593 million and 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters estimated at $997 million.
Some of the equipment from the earlier agreements has been delivered, while other components of the deals have taken longer to reach Nigeria.
The latest shipment comes as Nigeria continues to confront multiple security challenges, including the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgency in the North-east, as well as banditry and kidnapping in parts of the North-west and North-central regions.
The delivery also comes against the backdrop of increased military cooperation between Nigeria and the US following a period of diplomatic tension over US President Donald Trump’s claims that Christians were being disproportionately targeted by terrorist and insurgent groups in Nigeria.
Nigerian authorities rejected the characterisation, maintaining that terrorist and armed groups target Nigerians regardless of religion or ethnicity.
Despite the disagreement, military cooperation between the two countries has continued.
The United States has deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria to provide training, intelligence and operational support, following coordinated US-Nigeria strikes against Islamic State targets in the North-east.
The cooperation has also included intelligence sharing, counterterrorism operations and military training.
The latest equipment delivery is therefore expected to add to Nigeria’s military capabilities as its security forces continue operations against insurgent and armed groups.
However, AFRICOM’s decision not to disclose details of the shipment leaves unclear whether the equipment forms part of the previously approved $346 million package or another foreign military sales agreement.
The delivery nevertheless signals continued defence cooperation between Washington and Abuja despite earlier diplomatic disagreements over Nigeria’s handling of religiously linked violence.
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