By Chimezie Godfrey
Nigeria and the European Union (EU) have moved to consolidate defence and security collaboration in response to the country’s growing and complex security challenges.
The EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Gautier Mignot, disclosed this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Mignot, who congratulated the CDS on his appointment, assured Nigeria of the EU’s readiness to support efforts aimed at addressing security threats, stressing that Nigeria remains strategic to Europe, with 19 of the EU’s 27 member states maintaining diplomatic missions in the country.
He said the EU is implementing several non-kinetic peacebuilding projects across Nigeria, adding that its support goes beyond military assistance to include governance and political processes.
Responding, General Oluyede expressed appreciation for the EU’s sustained support and welcomed plans to expand defence engagement beyond the Multinational Joint Task Force arrangement.
He urged the EU to fast-track the process, noting that Nigeria is currently grappling with multi-faceted security challenges.
According to the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, “Nigeria warmly welcomes deeper defence collaboration with the European Union, particularly at this critical period of complex security challenges.”
Insecurity: Nigeria, EU Move to Deepen Defence Collaboration
