Breaking: US Delivers Military Equipment to Nigerian Air Force
- The United States delivered military equipment to the Nigerian Air Force on Sunday, September 6, 2026, via a US Air Force C-17 aircraft
- The delivery came one month after NSA Nuhu Ribadu led a Nigerian delegation to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting in Washington, DC
- The equipment is part of a foreign military sales agreement aimed at boosting Nigeria's counter-terrorism efforts in the north
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
The United States government has delivered military hardware to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) as part of a bilateral defence agreement between the two countries.
A US Air Force C-17 aircraft touched down on Sunday, September 6, 2026, carrying the equipment, which was transferred under a foreign military sales arrangement designed to deepen the existing US-Nigeria security partnership.
Source: Twitter
The delivery followed a high-level diplomatic engagement held just a month earlier, when Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, led a Nigerian delegation to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group meeting in Washington, DC.
This was reported by Nigerian Affairs Journal via its X handle , on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The meeting is understood to have covered areas of mutual security concern, including the ongoing insurgency in Nigeria's north.
US-Nigeria defence partnership
According to a post by Nigerian Affairs Journal on Thursday, September 10, 2026, the equipment is intended to support Nigeria's efforts to combat terrorism in its northern region, where armed groups have continued to pose a significant threat to civilian and military targets.
The C-17 aircraft that carried the consignment bore the tail number 0213 and was operated under the 437th Airlift Wing and 315th Airlift Wing, both based in the United States.
Images shared alongside the announcement showed military personnel posing in front of the aircraft after the delivery was completed.
What the agreement covers
The foreign military sales framework used for this transfer is a formal government-to-government channel through which the US supplies defence articles and services to allied nations.
Nigeria has previously engaged with the US on security cooperation matters, particularly in relation to the Lake Chad Basin, where the Boko Haram insurgency and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), remain active.
The latest delivery signals a continued willingness on the part of Washington to bolster Nigeria's aerial and ground defence capabilities, at a time when the Nigerian military has been pushing to improve its operational reach across the north-east and north-west.
Nigerian military speaks after US withdraw troops
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that the Nigerian military broke its silence on the reported withdrawal of about 200 US troops stationed in Nigeria.
The Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Major General Samaila Uba, addressed journalists at an NCTC security briefing.
Uba said key aspects of the bilateral partnership, including intelligence sharing and military training, remain active.
Source: Legit.ng
