Arms and algorithms

The US plans a $346 million munitions sale to Nigeria to boost counter-terrorism efforts, pending Congressional approval.

The US State Department has approved a potential $346 million munitions sale to Nigeria, including precision-guided bombs and rockets, to strengthen counter-terrorism and border security operations. The package, pending Congressional approval, also includes technical and logistical support. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency stated the deal aligns with US strategic interests and will enhance Nigeria’s defence capabilities. Meanwhile, Nigeria plans to introduce a reciprocal visa policy requiring US applicants to disclose social media activity in response to similar US measures. Nigerian officials criticised the US policy as intrusive, warning it may impact legitimate travel and diplomacy. No implementation timeline has been announced.

The proposed US sale of precision-guided munitions, including GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs and Hydra-70 rockets, to Nigeria marks a significant shift in a decade of fluctuating arms policies between the two countries. This potential deal, which is pending congressional approval, is a continuation of the 2021 A-29 Super Tucano sale. It signals that the US is prepared to incrementally deepen Nigeria’s air power capabilities despite persistent concerns about human rights compliance and collateral damage in counter-insurgency operations. The approval of this sale would reverse a long-standing arms embargo that began under the Obama administration in 2014, when the US, citing the Leahy Act and concerns about human rights abuses, declined to sell weapons to Nigeria for its fight against Boko Haram. This policy continued into the early Trump administration. However, in 2022, the Biden administration approved a nearly $1 billion weapons sale to Nigeria, and the Trump administration has since continued with sales despite ongoing concerns about rights abuses.