Nigeria, EU Strengthen Ties On Defence

Nigeria and the European Union (EU) have strengthened ties towards further cementing the existing relations between them through improved defence engagements.

A statement by the Director Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the decision was reached when the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, at the Defence Headquarters on Wednesday.

Ambassador Gautier, while congratulating the CDS on his appointment, reiterated the EU’s intention to support Nigeria in overcoming its security challenges.

He reiterated the importance of Nigeria to members of the European Union, with 19 out of 27 member states maintaining diplomatic representation in the country.

The EU Ambassador highlighted many ongoing EU non-kinetic projects across Nigeria to support peacebuilding efforts. He restated the EU’s commitment to support Nigeria in the current complex moment, which extends beyond the military to encompass broader areas, including governance and politics.

Earlier in his own remarks, the CDS expressed gratitude for all that the EU does in support of Nigeria, which he said he is very much conversant with. The CDS also expressed appreciation for the EU’s plan to engage with Nigeria on the security front, as opposed to the existing arrangement of providing mainly military support to the Multinational Joint Task Force. The CDS solicited the fast-tracking of the process, as Nigeria is grappling with multifaceted security challenges and would therefore warmly welcome support from the EU in tackling these challenges.