The United States has identified Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin as critical areas in its 2026 counterterrorism strategy amid concerns over rising extremist activities across Africa.
According to the strategy document, terrorist groups linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda have expanded operations in parts of West Africa, the Sahel, Mozambique, Sudan, and Somalia after losing territory in Iraq and Syria.
The US warned that extremist groups are exploiting weak governance and ungoverned spaces across Africa to establish new operational bases.
Washington said it would continue supporting affected countries through intelligence sharing, military cooperation, and counterterrorism training while maintaining a limited military footprint on the continent.
The strategy also emphasised protecting vulnerable communities, particularly Christians targeted by terrorist groups, while encouraging African governments to strengthen territorial control and regional security cooperation.
US officials noted that Africa holds significant economic and strategic potential if governments successfully prevent terrorist organisations from gaining influence across the region.
