The European Union (EU) is set to deliver 20 million euros defence support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
This is contained in a statement on Saturday in Abuja by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Defence, Ms Leah Katung-Babatunde.
Katung-Babatunde said the discussion took place when the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, received the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Gautier Mignot, and his delegation at the Ship House, Abuja.
She said Mignot was on a working visit to discuss critical defence bilateral agreements, including review of security cooperation between Nigeria and the EU.
According to her, Mignot commended the minister for his efforts in changing the security dynamics in the country and invited him to a meeting of ministers of defence in Brussels later in the year.
She also said the engagement centred on modalities for the EU’s bilateral assistance of 20 million euros for the AFN under the European Peace Facility (EPF).
She further said that ambassador revealed that an EU technical delegation would be visiting Nigeria in November to agree on delivery details.
She quoted Musa as expressing gratitude to the EU for consistency in supporting Nigeria and assured the ambassador of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Nigerians and development of the country.
The minister said that relative peace was gradually returning to troubled parts of the country due to the efforts of the armed forces and other security agencies.
He however noted that kidnapping along major highways and attacks on isolated communities persisted and were being tackled.
“In this regard, Nigeria is expecting the delivery of 10 attack helicopters, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other major enablers,” Musa said.
He revealed that the shrinking of the Lake Chad Basin, on which more than 50 million people depended, remained a potential source of instability.
He stressed that denying terrorists holding areas on the Lake Chad Islands remained a key operational priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
On Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme, Musa emphasised that it would prioritise victims, including affected military personnel.(NAN)
