Britain has donated non-lethal military equipment worth around N1 billion (£450,000) to the Nigerian army.
The support is aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s fight against violent extremist groups in the North East and represents a strengthened partnership between British and Nigerian forces.
At a formal handover ceremony in Maiduguri, the equipment was presented to Major General Wahidi Shaibu, Joint Task Force Northeast (JTF NE) Theater Commander.
The donation includes advanced non-lethal technological tools designed to support the Nigerian military’s counterinsurgency operations.
Alongside this donation, the UK is delivering a range of skill-building courses tailored to the operational needs of the Nigerian military in the region.
A 20-strong team from the British Army is stationed in Maiduguri and is currently leading a course focused on developing key skills needed for ongoing operations against extremist groups. The UK has committed to delivering seven additional training programs by February 2025, targeting the specialist skills needed for Nigeria’s future security operations in the North East.
Strengthening military cooperation Colonel Martin Leach, Deputy Chief of Defense Staff (West Africa) and Commander of the British Military Training Team in Nigeria, highlighted the importance of the UK-Nigeria partnership in the fight against extremism.
At the handover ceremony, he said the following: “I am delighted to be here today to hand over this equipment and mark a new development in the strong partnership between the UK and Nigeria. I support Nigeria.”
In addition to equipment and training, the UK is staffing the theater counter-IED coordination room in Maiduguri. The team works closely with teams in Nigeria to develop intelligence on terrorist networks responsible for deploying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) targeting both civilians and military personnel. This cooperation aims to reduce the impact of IED attacks and thereby increase regional security and stability.
Ongoing training program
The UK support includes a further seven specialist courses to be delivered over the coming months. These training programs aim to equip the Nigerian military with advanced operational skills and ensure a sustainable approach to countering violent extremist organizations in Nigeria.
This donation from the UK reflects a deepening alliance with Nigeria aimed at strengthening the country’s defense mechanisms against terrorism and strengthening military training resources.
What you need to know
Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged $50 billion in financial aid over the next three years and pledged to deepen military cooperation with African countries.
Mr. Xi laid out a vision for strengthening China-Africa relations and said this was the most favorable period in the history of the two countries’ partnership. The $50 billion pledge includes lines of credit, direct aid and private investment, down from the $30 billion pledged three years ago. It falls short of the $60 billion promised in 2015 and 2018.
In addition, President Xi announced $280 million in aid, divided into military aid and food aid, of which $140 million was marked for military aid, the highest defense aid allocation in previous forums. is the maximum.
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