By Our Reporter
The European Union (EU) is to provide €20 million in defence support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the European Peace Facility.
The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa, disclosed this on Saturday when the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, visited him in Abuja.
Musa said the support formed part of bilateral security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU, adding that a technical delegation would visit Abuja in November to finalise delivery arrangements.
The minister expressed appreciation to the EU for its continued support and reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting Nigerians and promoting national development.
He said relative peace was gradually returning through the efforts of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, although kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained concerns.
Musa said the government was addressing the challenges, adding that Nigeria expected the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other critical military equipment through ongoing efforts.
He identified the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, as a potential source of instability.
The minister stressed that 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, Musa said it should prioritise victims of terrorism, including affected military personnel.
Earlier, Mignot commended Nigeria’s security efforts and discussed the review of defence and security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
The ambassador also invited the minister to a meeting of defence ministers scheduled to hold in Brussels later in the year.
He commended the recent conference of past and serving MNJTF force commanders, attended by representatives of the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
Mignot said the EU technical delegation expected in Abuja in November would work with Nigerian authorities to agree on the modalities for delivering the support.
The engagement reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and supporting regional efforts to address terrorism and other security threats.
