The United States government has provided $650 million (or N267 billion at current official exchange rate of N411 per US dollar) security assistance to Nigeria since 2017, the ‘United States and NigeriaStrategic Partners Fact Sheet’ has revealed.
The revelation came as the Nigerian military reiterated its resolve to intensify pressure on the insurgents in the North East of the country.
The fact sheet which was released recently and obtained by LEADERSHIP Weekend indicated that the amount includes the 12 newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, six of which have already been delivered and inducted into the Nigerian Air Force inventory.
The document said the United States provides technical assistance and trains law enforcement and judicial professionals to address issues such as banditry and protection of intellectual property rights.
The law enforcement programme focuses on building capacity for civilian security actors, in particular, the Nigeria Police Force.
“Since 2017, US security assistance to Nigeria has totaled approximately$650m, including $500m in foreign military sales,” the document said.
The United States recently delivered six of the 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft which the country’s mission says is the largest foreign military sale in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The embassy said the United States security mission in Nigeria prioritises military justice reform, civilian casualty mitigation and the protection of human rights.
This is done through training of security operatives.
The document said; “US maritime domain awareness (MDA) investment in Nigeria amounts to over $5m for multiple watch floors, technology and training, including an MDA schoolhouse.”
The document further revealed that four former ships of the United States military fleet have been donated to Nigeria.
In humanitarian support, the United States said it had spent $1.45 billion since 2015 on the fight against insurgency in the North East, managing the most complex humanitarian crisis.
On the fight against Covid-19, the embassy said the United States had contributed more than $125 million equipment and technical assistance to the Nigerian government.
