The European Union (EU) has pledged €20 million in defence assistance to the Armed Forces of Nigeria to strengthen military 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, noting that the meeting reviewed bilateral defence agreements and security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
According to the statement, Mignot commended Musa’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s security situation and invited him to a defence ministers’ meeting scheduled to take place in Brussels later this year.
The ambassador also announced that an EU technical delegation would visit Nigeria in November to finalise details of the proposed €20 million assistance package.
Musa expressed appreciation for the EU’s 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, he identified highway kidnappings and attacks on isolated communities as persistent security challenges.
The minister further disclosed that Nigeria was expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military equipment to strengthen ongoing 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 preventing terrorists from accessing island hideouts in the lake remained a priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force.
He also said the planned disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme would prioritise victims of the conflict, including military personnel affected by the fighting.
