The European Union (EU) is set to provide €20 million in defence assistance to the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the European Peace Facility, as part of efforts to strengthen security cooperation between Nigeria and the bloc.
The proposed assistance was discussed when the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), received the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, and his delegation at Ship House in Abuja.
A statement signed by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, said the meeting focused on bilateral defence agreements, including a review of security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
According to the statement, Mignot commended Musa’s efforts to improve the country’s security situation and invited him to attend a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels later in the year.
In his response, Musa expressed appreciation to the EU for its continued support for Nigeria, assuring the ambassador of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting lives and promoting national development.
The minister said relative peace was gradually returning to parts of the country due to the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies.
He, however, acknowledged that kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained security challenges, adding that efforts were underway to address them.
The statement also disclosed that Nigeria was expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other critical military equipment through efforts by the President.
Musa further highlighted the shrinking of the Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, as a potential source of instability in the region.
He said denying terrorists access to hideouts on the islands of Lake Chad remained a key operational priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
On the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, the minister stressed the need to prioritise victims of the conflict, including military personnel affected by the violence.
Mignot disclosed that an EU technical delegation would visit Abuja in November to finalise details for the delivery of the proposed assistance.
He also commended a recent conference of past and serving MNJTF force commanders, which was attended by representatives of the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
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