EU Plans €20 Million Defence Support for Nigerian Armed Forces

The European Union (EU) is planning to provide €20 million in defence assistance to the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the European Peace Facility, as both sides seek to strengthen security cooperation.

The proposed support was discussed during a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, and the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, at Ship House in Abuja.

According to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, an EU technical delegation is expected to visit Abuja in November to discuss and finalise details of the assistance.

Nigeria Expects New Military Equipment

During the meeting, Musa thanked the EU for its continued support and reaffirmed 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 military and other security agencies. However, he noted that kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained significant challenges.

The minister also disclosed that Nigeria was expecting 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military equipment to strengthen security operations.

Regional Security Remains a Priority

Musa identified the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, as a potential source of instability. He said preventing terrorists from accessing holding areas on the Lake Chad islands remained a key priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force.

He also stressed that the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme should prioritise victims of the conflict, including affected military personnel.

Mignot commended Nigeria’s security efforts and praised a recent conference involving past and present MNJTF force commanders, with representatives of the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission in attendance. He also invited Musa to a defence ministers’ meeting in Brussels later this year.