POLITICAL Economy

EU Plans €20 Million Aid Package for Nigeria’s Armed Forces

by admin on | 2026-10-18 14:57:27

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EU Plans €20 Million Aid Package for Nigeria’s Armed Forces

By Ahmad Sirajo Makama

The European Union is preparing a €20 million defence assistance package for the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the European Peace Facility, with a technical delegation expected in Abuja in November to agree on delivery arrangements.

The proposed assistance was discussed when the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), received the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, His Excellency Gautier Mignot, and his delegation at Ship House, Abuja, on 17 October 2026.

The meeting also addressed bilateral defence agreements and a review of security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.

During the engagement, Ambassador Mignot commended the Defence Minister’s efforts on Nigeria’s security challenges and invited him to attend a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels later in the year.

General Musa expressed appreciation for the EU’s continued support and reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to protecting Nigerians and advancing national development. He said the efforts of the Armed Forces and other security agencies were gradually restoring relative peace, although kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities remained persistent concerns.

The Minister also pointed to Nigeria’s expectation of receiving ten attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other major military enablers through ongoing efforts under the President’s leadership.

Addressing regional security, General Musa identified the shrinking of the Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, as a potential source of instability. He stressed that denying terrorist groups access to holding areas on the Lake Chad islands remained a key operational priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force.

On the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme, the Defence Minister called for victims of the conflict, including affected military personnel, to be prioritised in the programme’s implementation.

Ambassador Mignot also commended the recent conference of past and present MNJTF force commanders, which included representatives of the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission. The planned EU technical visit is expected to help determine the arrangements for delivering the proposed defence assistance.

The engagement reflects continued Nigeria-EU efforts to strengthen defence cooperation as Nigeria addresses persistent security threats and wider regional pressures around the Lake Chad Basin.

The Ministry of Defence disclosed the details in a press release dated 17 October 2026, signed by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Defence.