The European Union (EU) has pledged €20 million in defence assistance to the Nigerian military to strengthen operations against terrorism and other security threats.
The proposed support under the European Peace Facility (EPF) was discussed during a meeting between the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), and the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, in Abuja.
The minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the meeting reviewed bilateral defence agreements and security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
According to the statement, Mignot announced that an EU technical delegation would visit Nigeria in November to agree on the details of the proposed assistance.
The ambassador also commended Musa’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s security situation and invited him to a meeting of defence ministers scheduled to take place in Brussels later this year.
Musa thanked the EU for its continued support, reaffirming President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting lives and promoting national development.
He said relative peace was gradually returning to some troubled areas through the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies.
However, the minister identified kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities as persistent security challenges.
He also disclosed that Nigeria was expecting 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military equipment to strengthen ongoing security operations.
On regional security, Musa highlighted the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, as a factor contributing to instability.
He said denying terrorists access to island hideouts in Lake Chad remained a priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force, which coordinates regional efforts against insurgency.
The minister added that Nigeria’s disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme would prioritise victims of the conflict, including military personnel affected by the fighting.
