The United States has expanded its travel advisory for Nigeria, urging citizens to reconsider travel due to worsening security conditions and authorizing the departure of nonemergency government staff and their families from its embassy in Abuja, Reuters reported on April 9. As part of precautionary measures, the embassy has also suspended visa appointments while maintaining limited emergency services for U.S. citizens, without specifying the precise drivers or duration of the restrictions.

This comes as Washington and Abuja have strengthened security cooperation, with the United States deploying at least 100 of a planned 200 troops primarily supporting intelligence gathering and training of Nigerian security forces. The expanded partnership has reportedly already yielded operational gains against militant groups. While Nigeria's main armed groups remain concentrated in the northeast, the southward diffusion of jihadist and affiliated networks has increased the threat footprint closer to Abuja, including parts of the north-central region. In Lagos, where the U.S. Consulate is located, security operations and intelligence reporting also indicate periodic arrests of suspected JAS-linked militants and facilitators.