Toyyibat Qasim
The European Union has pledged €20m in defence assistance to the Nigerian Armed Forces to strengthen the country’s capacity to combat terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats.
The proposed assistance, under the EU’s European Peace Facility, was discussed during a meeting between the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Gautier Mignot, and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), in Abuja.
The development comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to tackle persistent insecurity, including terrorist attacks, abductions along major highways and assaults on isolated communities.
Details of the meeting were disclosed on Saturday in a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde.
According to the statement, the discussions focused on existing bilateral defence agreements and a review of security cooperation between Nigeria and the European Union.
Mignot reportedly informed the minister that an EU technical delegation would visit Abuja in November to finalise arrangements for the delivery of the €20m assistance.
The EU ambassador also commended Musa’s efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges and invited him to attend a meeting of defence ministers scheduled to take place in Brussels later in the year.
Responding, Musa expressed appreciation to the EU for its continued support for Nigeria, reaffirming the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to protecting lives and property.
The minister said relative peace was gradually returning to some troubled parts of the country through the combined efforts of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
He, however, acknowledged that kidnapping on major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained significant security concerns.
Musa also disclosed that Nigeria was expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military equipment to strengthen the operational capacity of the Armed Forces.
“In this regard, Nigeria is expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other major enablers,” he said.
The expected military hardware is part of broader efforts to enhance the country’s ability to confront security threats and improve the effectiveness of its operations.
The minister further raised concerns about the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, warning of its implications for regional stability.
He identified the prevention of terrorist groups from maintaining strongholds on islands in Lake Chad as a major operational priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force, which coordinates regional military operations against insurgency.
The Lake Chad region has remained a strategic theatre in the fight against insurgency, with security cooperation among countries in the basin considered crucial to containing cross-border threats.
Musa also addressed Nigeria’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme, stressing the need for its implementation to prioritise victims of the conflict, including military personnel affected by the violence.
The proposed EU assistance comes amid Nigeria’s efforts to deepen international defence partnerships while strengthening its domestic military production capacity.
The Federal Government has been pursuing initiatives to promote local development of unmanned systems, military hardware and digital defence technologies as part of efforts to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers.
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