The United States has been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, according to flight tracking data and current and former U.S. officials cited by Reuters, in a development that signals intensifying security cooperation between Washington and Abuja at a time of mounting violence and diplomatic friction.
The surveillance missions, which have largely gone unpublicized, come against a backdrop of worsening insecurity in Africa’s most populous country and sharp rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened military intervention if Nigeria fails to stem violence against Christian communities. While Reuters reported that it could not independently determine the precise intelligence objectives of the flights, officials suggest they are part of a broader effort to rebuild U.S. counterterrorism capacity in West Africa following setbacks elsewhere in the region.
Flight tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows that the aircraft used in the operation typically departs from Accra, the capital of Ghana, flies over Nigerian territory, and then returns to its base. The missions have taken place almost daily since late November, indicating a sustained intelligence effort rather than a one-off operation.
The aircraft involved is operated by Tenax Aerospace, a Mississippi-based contractor that provides special mission aircraft and works closely with the U.S. military. According to tracking data, the plane is a Gulfstream V, a long-range business jet frequently modified for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Tenax Aerospace did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, analyzed the flight data and said the operation appears to be running out of Accra, a known logistical hub for the U.S. military in Africa. He described the surveillance flights as an early indication that Washington is reestablishing its intelligence footprint in the region after Niger ordered U.S. troops to vacate a major air base last year and pivoted toward Russia for security cooperation.
“In recent weeks we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr told Reuters, adding that the loss of basing rights in Niger forced the U.S. to adapt its regional posture.
A former U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the aircraft is one of several assets the Trump administration relocated to Ghana in November. While it remains unclear how many U.S. aircraft are currently operating out of Ghana, the former official said the missions include gathering intelligence on militant groups active in Nigeria and assisting efforts to locate a U.S. pilot who was kidnapped in neighboring Niger while working for a missionary organization.
Militant violence in Nigeria has surged in recent years, driven by a complex mix of jihadist insurgencies, banditry, communal clashes and criminal kidnappings. Groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province, continue to operate in parts of the country despite years of military campaigns. Armed gangs have also carried out mass abductions, particularly in northern states, targeting schoolchildren and rural communities.
A current U.S. official confirmed to Reuters that the surveillance aircraft has been flying over Nigeria but declined to provide details, citing the diplomatic sensitivity of intelligence operations. Another administration official said Washington was continuing to work with Nigeria to “address religious violence, anti-Christian attacks, and the destabilizing spread of terrorism.” All officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a statement, the Pentagon said the U.S. government had held productive meetings with Nigerian officials following Trump’s warnings about the country, but declined to discuss intelligence matters. Nigeria’s military spokesperson did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment, nor did Ghana’s deputy defense minister.
The flights come at a politically sensitive moment for U.S.-Nigeria relations. Nigeria’s government has pushed back strongly against claims that Christians are being systematically persecuted, arguing that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians and that the conflict is driven by broader security failures rather than religious policy. Nigeria’s population is roughly evenly divided between Muslims, concentrated mainly in the north, and Christians, who are more prevalent in the south.
Despite these disagreements, Nigeria has agreed to work with the United States to bolster its security forces. A Nigerian security source told Reuters that during a November 20 meeting between National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Washington agreed to deploy air assets to assist with intelligence collection. That meeting took place shortly before the surveillance flights began.
Flight tracking data shows that the Tenax Aerospace aircraft was spotted on November 7 at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, home to U.S. Special Operations Command. The aircraft then flew to Ghana on November 24, just days after the high-level security talks between U.S. and Nigerian officials, suggesting a direct link between diplomatic engagement and the launch of the operation.
The surveillance effort coincides with a deepening security crisis inside Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu declared a security emergency last month, ordering mass recruitment into the army and police to confront escalating violence across multiple states. The move followed a wave of deadly attacks and kidnappings, including the abduction of more than 300 schoolchildren in northern Nigeria, incidents that shocked the country and drew international attention.
At the same time, Washington has taken punitive measures against Abuja over what it perceives as failures to protect religious minorities. In October, Trump added Nigeria back onto a U.S. list of countries accused of violating religious freedom. More recently, Nigeria was placed on a U.S. travel ban list that imposes partial restrictions and entry limitations on its citizens.
Trump has also directed the Defense Department to prepare for potential “fast” military action in Nigeria if the government fails to curb the killing of Christians, according to U.S. officials. While no such intervention appears imminent, the surveillance flights suggest that Washington is laying the groundwork for a more assertive role should the situation deteriorate further.
According to Republican Representative Riley Moore, who recently traveled to Nigeria, the two countries have established a joint task force focused on security cooperation. The group is expected to coordinate intelligence sharing, training and operational planning against militant threats.
For analysts, the renewed U.S. surveillance presence reflects both urgency and uncertainty. The loss of the Niger air base forced Washington to rethink how it monitors militant movements across the Sahel and West Africa, even as violence spreads and regional governments increasingly turn to alternative partners such as Russia. Ghana’s role as a staging ground highlights its growing importance to U.S. strategy in Africa, but also underscores the fragility of American influence in the region.
As Reuters reported, the purpose and scope of the intelligence flights remain opaque, but their frequency and timing suggest they are more than symbolic. With Nigeria facing one of the gravest security challenges in its history, and U.S. pressure mounting from both strategic and political fronts, the quiet hum of surveillance aircraft over Nigerian skies may prove to be an early indicator of deeper American involvement ahead.
