By Ebi Kesiena
Nigeria and Russia have signed a new agreement on military-technical cooperation.
A press statement from the Nigerian Embassy in Russia explained that the agreement will provide a legal framework for the supply, maintenance of military equipment, personnel training and technology transfer.
Defence Minister, Major General. Bashir Magashi (retired), who led senior military officials to Russia, signed on behalf of Nigeria, while Dmitry Shugaev, Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, signed on behalf of Russia.
Also present at the signing, was the Nigerian Ambassador Prof. Abdullahi Shehu, Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Auwal Gambo and representatives of the Army and the Air Force.
According to Shehu the partnership is solely for complementary and mutual benefit.
In 2017 and 2019, Nigeria and Russia signed military and trade cooperation agreements. The 2017 agreement enables Nigerian military personnel to be trained at Russian military educational institutions.
The countries agreed to share their peacekeeping experience on piracy and terrorism.
In the 2019 agreement, cooperation ranged from military cooperation to oil, gas, trade and rail development, among other things.
The pact was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the side-lines of the Russia-Africa summit.
This signing marks the end of the similar 20-year agreement that was signed on March 6, 2001.
