U.S. Increases Military Assistance In Niger Delta

The United States is stepping up its involvement in the Nigeria to counter growing violence in the Niger Delta.

Theresa Whelan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, told a conference sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that the US had a number of joint training and equipment programs aimed at helping Nigeria’s military counter the growing violence that threatens US oil interests in the region.

Over 1 million barrels a day is now exported to the U.S. market. Nigeria now accounts for 8 percent of total U.S. oil imports.

To counter the violence, Whelan said the Defense Department proposed a regional maritime awareness capabilities program for the Nigerian navy worth $16 million “to help the Nigerians establish greater situational awareness in the delta and try and address some of the bunkering [large-scale oil stealing] problems that contribute to the violence because it provides money to buy arms.”

In addition, she said, “We have offered to provide training and assistance in small-arms, light weapons identification so they can better understand and track the illegal weapons coming into the delta.”