The United States has approved $413 million for counter-insurgency and security operations in Nigeria and other West African countries in the 2026 fiscal year, following the signing of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) into law in December 2025.
Although the NDAA does not provide a country-by-country breakdown, the amount represents the full operations and maintenance budget requested by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) for its activities on the continent.
The funding is part of a wider $901 billion US defence spending package, which also includes a four per cent pay rise for American service members and marks the 65th consecutive annual defence authorisation. Washington says the allocation reflects growing concern over worsening insecurity across West Africa.
Nigeria continues to battle a long-running insurgency in the North-East, rising banditry in the North-West and persistent piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Other countries in the region are also under pressure, with Mali facing renewed militant attacks and northern Benin experiencing spillover violence from the Sahel.
In recent weeks, the US has stepped up security cooperation with Nigeria.
AFRICOM confirmed the delivery of military equipment to Nigerian security agencies in Abuja, describing it as part of a shared security partnership. The renewed engagement follows US air strikes on suspected terrorist hideouts in Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025, carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Beyond funding, the NDAA introduces key policy changes, including the creation of a new Assistant Secretary for African Affairs and a Bureau of African Affairs at the US State Department to coordinate policy across sub-Saharan Africa.
The law also mandates a comprehensive review of Russia’s military activities in Africa, a move expected to influence future US strategy in the region.
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