European Union (EU) has pledged €20 million in defence support to the Nigerian Armed Forces to support the country’s efforts to tackle insecurity.
Gatekeepers News reports that the proposed assistance was discussed when the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, met with the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, at the Ship House in Abuja.
The minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday.
She said the meeting focused on bilateral defence agreements and a review of security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
Katung-Babatunde added that the discussions centred on arrangements for the €20 million assistance under the European Peace Facility (EPF).
She said an EU technical delegation would visit Nigeria in November to agree on the details of the support and its delivery.
During the meeting, Mignot commended Musa’s efforts to address the country’s security challenges and invited him to a meeting of defence ministers scheduled to hold in Brussels later in the year.
Musa thanked the EU for its continued support and reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting lives and promoting national development.
The minister said relative peace was gradually returning to troubled parts of the country through the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies.
He, however, acknowledged that kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained security challenges.
Musa also disclosed that Nigeria was expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other military equipment to strengthen ongoing security operations.
On regional security, the minister identified the shrinking of the Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, as a potential source of instability.
He said denying terrorists access to holding areas on the islands of Lake Chad remained a key operational priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which coordinates regional efforts against insurgency.
Musa also called for the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme to prioritise victims of the conflict, including military personnel affected by the insurgency.
The EU’s proposed assistance comes as Nigeria continues to confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and attacks on communities across different parts of the country.
