By Emmanuel Nduka
The European Union (EU) is set to provide €20 million in defence assistance to the Armed Forces of Nigeria as the Federal Government says it is scaling up efforts to strengthen military operations against terrorism, kidnapping and other security threats.
The proposed assistance was discussed during a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), and the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, at the ministry’s headquarters, Ship House, in Abuja.
In a statement issued by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Defence, the ministry said the discussions focused on bilateral defence agreements and a review of security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU. An EU technical delegation is expected to visit Abuja in November to agree on the details and arrangements for delivering the assistance under the European Peace Facility.
Musa expressed appreciation for the EU’s continued support for Nigeria’s security efforts and reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting lives and property and promoting national development. He said the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies were gradually restoring relative peace to troubled parts of the country, although kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained significant challenges.
The minister also disclosed that Nigeria was expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other military equipment to strengthen ongoing security operations.
On regional security, Musa identified the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which supports the livelihoods of more than 50 million people, as a potential source of instability. He stressed that preventing terrorists from using the islands of Lake Chad as operational bases remained a key priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates regional efforts against insurgency.
Musa further called for Nigeria’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme to give priority to victims of the conflict, including military personnel affected by the fighting.
The EU ambassador commended the minister’s efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges and praised a recent conference of past and serving MNJTF force commanders, attended by representatives of the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
Mignot also invited Musa to a meeting of defence ministers scheduled to take place in Brussels later in the year, signalling continued engagement between Nigeria and the EU on defence cooperation and regional security.
