US builds drone base near Nigeria

The United States military said it is building a $100 million drone base near Nigeria, particularly in Agadez, central Niger, to help the West African country combat militant groups and protect its borders.

Niger, a security ally of the West, is grappling simultaneously with incursions from jihadist group Boko Haram across its southern border with Nigeria as well as roaming al Qaeda-linked groups in its vast desert spaces.

"Agadez is an ideal, central location to enable ISR collection (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) to face the security threat across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin region," she said.