The United States, US, has formally sought approval from the Nigerian government to set up a drone refueling facility within the country.
The proposed installation is intended to service American unmanned aerial vehicles currently deployed from Accra, Ghana, where the U.S. conducts Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR, missions covering vast areas of Nigerian airspace.
Although US officials have not publicly identified the specific aircraft involved, indications suggest the likely platform is the MQ-9 Reaper.
The long-endurance drone is equipped with Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engines and operates on JP-8 or comparable kerosene-based aviation fuel.
Sources familiar with the negotiations say talks are at an advanced phase, with a state in Nigeria’s North East identified as the preferred host location.
Earlier considerations, it was gathered, included Lagos and Abuja, but both options were set aside due to security and political concerns.
The North East emerged as the favored choice given its existing military aviation infrastructure and Nigeria’s own drone deployments in the region.
Should the proposal receive final clearance, the facility would enhance US operational logistics by reducing turnaround time for missions launched from Ghana, while strengthening intelligence coordination and operational collaboration with Nigerian security forces.
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