Nigeria and France have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence cooperation to enhance security and address emerging threats within the region.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja when he received the French Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Col. Stéphane Useo, at the Army Headquarters.
Shaibu commended France for its sustained collaboration with the Nigerian Army, particularly in intelligence sharing, professional military training and support for operational readiness.
He said such partnerships remained critical to Nigeria’s efforts to counter security challenges and promote stability within the region.
The COAS reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to continuous professional development across all corps and stressed the need to sustain mutually beneficial bilateral defence cooperation.
According to him, a long-term partnership focused on capacity building, advanced training and enhanced operational effectiveness aligns with contemporary security realities.
Earlier, Col. Useo praised the resilience and dedication of the Nigerian Army in addressing emerging security challenges.
He specifically commended the Army’s recovery operations in the Republic of Benin and advocated expanded access for Nigerian personnel to strategic professional military courses, particularly in public relations and aviation.
Useo described the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information as one of the best institutions in Africa for training personnel in civil-military relations and information management.
He reaffirmed France’s commitment to deepening defence cooperation with Nigeria, noting that the partnership was aimed at promoting regional stability, countering emerging threats and building sustainable military capacity.
The engagement focused on strengthening operational cooperation between the Nigerian Army and the French Armed Forces in response to evolving regional and global security challenges.
