Nigeria’s Ministry Of Defence To Strengthen Military Cooperation With Israel
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Ambassador Gabriel Tanimu Aduda reaffirmed the Nigerian government’s commitment to enhancing military cooperation with the State of Israel during a recent courtesy visit from Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ship House, Abuja.
During their meeting, the two officials discussed strategies for bolstering defence cooperation, 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.
The Ministry of Defence is in the process of reforming the Defence Industry corporation so as to achieve effective regulation of the sector.
Soon Nigeria 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 Equipment6 manufacturers globally.
According to Ambassador Aduda “The Ministry will engage in strategic initiatives to replicate successful Israeli military cooperation frameworks in Nigeria, thereby enhancing our national defence architecture.”
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 countries.