The United States has been carrying out intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, signaling heightened security cooperation between the two countries.
The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat in November to intervene militarily in Nigeria over the government’s alleged failure to stop violence against Christian communities.
Flight tracking data shows that the contractor-operated aircraft typically takes off from Ghana, flies over Nigeria, and returns to Accra.
Mississippi-based Tenax Aerospace, which provides special mission aircraft and works closely with the U.S. military, is reported to operate the flights. Analysts say the US surveillance Nigeria missions aim to gather intelligence on militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Liam Karr, Africa Team Lead for the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that the operation, based in Accra, suggests a strategic rebuilding of U.S. presence in West Africa following Niger’s expulsion of American troops last year.
According to a former U.S. official, the aircraft were moved to Ghana by the Trump administration to continue US surveillance Nigeria operations.
The aircraft, identified as a modified Gulfstream V, has flown almost daily over Nigeria, conducting reconnaissance to address terrorist activities and the safety of Americans in the region.
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Nigeria’s government, while acknowledging security challenges, maintains that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians and has agreed to cooperate with the U.S. to strengthen its forces.
Observers say these flights reflect a coordinated effort to monitor threats, signaling a significant expansion of US surveillance Nigeria amid rising security concerns and previous high-profile kidnappings in West Africa.