U.S. Approves Possible $346m Arms Sale to Nigeria
The United States government has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Nigeria valued at approximately $346 million, aimed at bolstering the country’s ability to combat terrorism and counter illicit trafficking, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to a statement from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Wednesday, August 13, the package—requested by the Nigerian government—includes munitions, precision bombs, precision rockets, and related support equipment. The DSCA has already notified the U.S. Congress, which must review and potentially approve the deal before it can proceed.
Under the proposed sale, Nigeria will receive 1,002 MK-82 general-purpose 500-pound bombs, 1,002 MXU-650 Air Foil Groups for Paveway II GBU-12, 515 MXU-1006 Air Foil Groups for GBU-58, and 1,517 computer control groups for both GBU-12 and GBU-58 kits. The package also covers 1,002 FMU-152 joint programmable fuzes and 5,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) II all-up-rounds, each comprising a guidance section, high-explosive warhead, and rocket motor.
Additional non-major defense equipment will include bomb components, high-explosive and practice rockets, impulse cartridges, integration and test equipment, as well as technical, engineering, and logistics support from both U.S. government and contractor personnel.
The DSCA stressed that the sale will strengthen Nigeria’s operational capabilities without altering the basic military balance in West Africa or affecting U.S. defense readiness. It also noted that the Nigerian armed forces have the capacity to absorb the new equipment into their existing arsenal.
The principal contractors for the deal are RTX Missiles and Defense in Tucson, Arizona; Lockheed Martin Corporation in Archibald, Pennsylvania; and BAE Systems in Hudson, New Hampshire. No offset agreements have been disclosed at this stage.
This development follows previous large-scale arms sales to Nigeria, including a $997 million package approved in 2022 for attack helicopters and other precision systems.
Past deals have sometimes faced delays under U.S. human rights laws, but there is no indication that such restrictions will affect this proposal.
If Congress raises no objections, the $346 million agreement could mark another step in deepening U.S.–Nigeria defense cooperation at a time of heightened security threats across the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea regions.
