By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing military cooperation with the State of Israel.
A press release from the Ministry of Defence said the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Gabriel Tanimu Aduda stated this when he received the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ship House, Abuja.
The press release signed by Sani Datti for the Director Information and Public Relations of the Ministry said the two officials discussed strategies for bolstering defence cooperation.
He said they also discussed strengthening mutual security frameworks, and exploring opportunities for enhanced military training and capacity building within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“Ambassador Aduda highlighted the critical need to deepen defence ties in the light of evolving global security challenges. He emphasized the importance of strategic areas such as joint operations, knowledge exchange, and the modernization of defence cooperation. The discussions also included plans to finalize a new bilateral defence agreement aimed at fostering technical collaboration in defence industry development.
According to Aduda “The Ministry of Defence is in the process of reforming the Defence Industry corporation so as to achieve effective regulation of the sector. Soon we will have the regulatory arm of DICON to regulate and license participation in the defence industry, as well as the commercial arm that will enter into partnerships and collaborations to assemble or manufacture arms and ammunition, UAVs and armoured vehicles alongside reputable original Equipment Manufacturers globally.
“The Ministry will engage in strategic initiatives to replicate successful Israeli military cooperation frameworks in Nigeria, thereby enhancing our national defence architecture,” the Permanent Secretary added.
“In response, Ambassador Michael Freeman expressed gratitude for the audience and underscored the significance of this partnership as a progressive step toward achieving innovative defence solutions. He extended a formal invitation to Ambassador Aduda and his team to visit Israel, with the goal of further strengthening the ties between the two nations.”
