The U.S. government has approved a possible $346 million sale of precision-guided bombs, rockets, and related military equipment to Nigeria, in what Washington described as a strategic step to strengthen the West African nation’s counter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations.

The U.S. State Department confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the Defence Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying the U.S. Congress of this possible sale.

The package includes 1,002 MK-82 general-purpose 500 lb bombs; 1,002 MXU-650 Air Foil Groups (AFGs) for 500 lb Paveway II GBU-12; 515 MXU-1006 AFGs for 250 lb Paveway II GBU-58; 1,517 MAU-169 or MAU-209 computer control group for Paveway II GBU-12/GBU-58; 1,002 FMU-152 joint programmable fuzes; and 5,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II all-up-rounds (consisting of one each WGU-59/B guidance section, high-explosive warhead; and MK66-4 rocket motor).

The following non-MDE items will also be included: FMU-139 joint programmable fuzes; bomb components, impulse cartridges, and high-explosive and practice rockets; integration support and test equipment; U.S. government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics personnel services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.

The DSCA stressed that Nigeria will “have no difficulty absorbing these munitions into its armed forces” and that the sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”

The U.S. government said the move would enhance Nigeria’s capacity to combat terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, as well as to counter illicit trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea — a region plagued by some of the world’s most persistent piracy attacks.

Nigeria has faced a brutal insurgency in its northeast for over 15 years, with Boko Haram’s armed campaign killing tens of thousands and displacing millions. In recent years, bandit gangs operating across the North-West and north-central regions have intensified attacks on rural communities, kidnapping thousands for ransom.

The Nigerian military, already stretched thin by internal security operations, has relied heavily on foreign arms purchases, particularly from the United States, to sustain its aerial and ground offensives.

Washington and Abuja have strengthened their security ties over the last decade, with notable transactions including the 2021 delivery of 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft under a $500 million agreement. U.S. officials have consistently framed such sales as advancing both Nigeria’s stability and the U.S. national security interests in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The DSCA pointed out that no U.S. troops or contractors will be permanently deployed to Nigeria for the sale’s implementation, and that the final price could be lower than the $346 million estimate, depending on Nigeria’s final order and budget.

“The description and dollar value are for the highest estimated quantity and dollar value based on initial requirements. Actual dollar value will be lower depending on final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement(s), if and when concluded,” the statement said.

If finalised, the sale will mark one of the largest single U.S. arms packages to Nigeria in recent years — underscoring both the scale of the country’s security crisis and Washington’s determination to keep Abuja as a key regional security partner.