US Air Force C-17 Delivers Military Equipment to Nigerian Air Force Bases in Lagos and Kainji
The United States has delivered a fresh consignment of military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force, in a move officials say will strengthen Nigeria’s ongoing fight against terrorism and other security threats across the region.
The delivery was disclosed by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) in a post on its official X account on Thursday, describing the shipment as “partnership in action” between the two countries. According to AFRICOM, the equipment was flown into Nigeria aboard a US Air Force C-17 transport aircraft over the weekend of September 6, with the cargo delivered to Nigerian Air Force facilities in Lagos and Kainji, Niger State. The command said the transfer was carried out under a foreign military sales agreement between the two countries, describing it as a further step in deepening the strategic defence partnership between Washington and Abuja.
AFRICOM did not disclose the specific type or quantity of equipment delivered, nor did it provide a monetary value for the shipment. The command stressed, however, that US military support to Nigeria’s armed forces remains provided at Nigeria’s invitation and grounded in respect for the country’s sovereignty, and that the delivery is intended to enhance Nigerian-led efforts to counter terrorism in the region.
While officials have not confirmed whether this particular shipment forms part of a larger arrangement, the delivery is widely believed to be linked to a Foreign Military Sale package worth approximately $346 million, approved by the US State Department in August 2025, which included munitions, precision-guided bombs, precision rockets, and other weapons systems intended to support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and illicit arms trafficking. The United States has separately approved other major defence sales to Nigeria in recent years, including 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft valued at roughly $593 million and 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters estimated at about $997 million, with some of that equipment already delivered while other components remain outstanding.
The latest delivery comes about a month after Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, led a Nigerian delegation to the second session of the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group meeting in Washington, D.C., part of continuing bilateral engagement between the two countries on security cooperation, intelligence sharing, and military training. The renewed defence cooperation follows a period of diplomatic tension between Washington and Abuja after US President Donald Trump alleged that Christian communities in Nigeria were being disproportionately targeted by terrorist groups, warning that the United States could take direct action against such groups if the situation persisted. Nigerian authorities have consistently rejected that characterisation, maintaining that armed groups and insurgents in the country target Nigerians broadly, regardless of religious or ethnic identity.
The equipment delivery adds to a series of recent US military shipments to Nigeria this year, reflecting sustained American engagement in supporting Nigerian security operations even as the two governments continue to navigate points of diplomatic friction over the broader characterisation of the country’s security crisis.
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