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By Ayo Kehinde
The United States has stepped up military support to Nigeria with the delivery of military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force under a foreign military sales agreement aimed at strengthening the bilateral security partnership and supporting the country’s fight against terrorism.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) disclosed the development on its official website, saying that a US Air Force C-17 military transport aircraft delivered the equipment to the Nigerian Air Force over the weekend.
“PARTNERSHIP IN ACTION: A U.S. Air Force C-17 delivers equipment to the Nigerian Air Force this weekend,” AFRICOM said in a post announcing the delivery.
The command said the shipment was provided under a Foreign Military Sales Agreement between the United States and Nigeria.
“The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement that advances the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and will aid Nigeria’s efforts to counter terrorism in the region,” AFRICOM said.
The delivery, made on Sunday, September 6, comes about a month after National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, led a Nigerian delegation to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting in Washington, DC.
While AFRICOM did not disclose the nature or quantity of the equipment delivered, the command statement clarifies that the shipment is part of an existing defense agreement between the two countries and is intended to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
The equipment was transported by a U.S. Air Force C-17, a strategic military transport aircraft designed to move military personnel, vehicles, equipment and other cargo over long distances.
Nigeria remains a key security partner of the United States on the continent, particularly in the fight against terrorism, given the country’s role in countering extremist organizations and other armed groups whose activities have continued to threaten communities and regional stability.
The Nigerian military has been engaged in operations against terrorist groups in the northeast for years, while security forces also contend with banditry, kidnapping and other armed criminal activity in parts of the northwest and north-central regions.
The Nigerian Air Force has played a critical role in such operations through aerial surveillance, intelligence gathering, close air support and air strikes against identified terrorist targets.
The latest US delivery is therefore expected to strengthen the operational capability of the armed forces, although AFRICOM did not provide details on the specific role or deployment of the equipment.
The development also follows the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting in Washington DC, led by Ribadu on the Nigerian side, where both countries continued discussions on issues of strategic importance to their bilateral relations.
The meeting was part of broader efforts to deepen cooperation between Abuja and Washington, particularly on security and other areas of mutual interest.
The United States has remained one of Nigeria’s most important defense and security partners, with cooperation that extends beyond equipment to areas such as counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, training, and institutional capacity building.
The Foreign Military Sales program provides a framework through which the U.S. Government facilitates the transfer of defense articles and services to eligible partner countries.
The federal government has repeatedly argued that defeating terrorism requires stronger military capabilities, as well as intelligence cooperation and international partnerships.
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