ABUJA, Nigeria — As Nigeria swore in Muhammadu Buhari as the new president on Friday, the Obama administration signaled that it was prepared to expand military cooperation in the fight against Boko Haram.

Secretary of State John Kerry, who led the American delegation at the inauguration, discussed cooperation against Boko Haram in a short meeting on Friday with Mr. Buhari.

“Something we can do quickly is to send advisers,” said a senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under the department’s protocol for briefing reporters. “It could be related to intelligence; it could be something very simple, related to things like logistics.”

“We certainly hope to be able to do more,” the official added.

Dignitaries from more than 30 nations attended the inauguration of the 72-year-old Mr. Buhari. The ceremony, which marked Nigeria’s first transition of power from one political party to another since the end of military rule in 1999, was held in Eagle Square.