By Saminu Ibrahim
The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation with Nigeria, with emphasis on military training, technology transfer, institutional capacity building and operational effectiveness.
The commitment was reiterated when the newly appointed British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Pete Vowles, paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
Vowles underscored the importance of defence and security cooperation as a key pillar of the longstanding bilateral relationship between both countries.
He expressed appreciation for the enduring political, diplomatic and military ties between Nigeria and the UK, noting the need to sustain existing security initiatives and explore new areas of collaboration in response to evolving regional and global security challenges.
The British envoy also stressed the importance of maintaining a strong and mutually beneficial partnership to promote regional stability and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to tackle contemporary security threats.
In his response, Oluyede highlighted the longstanding historical ties between the two countries, noting that they had maintained a productive defence relationship over several decades and continued to collaborate in addressing shared security concerns.
The CDS emphasised the need to sustain and expand existing areas of cooperation, particularly in professional military education, technology transfer and institutional capacity building.
He noted that ongoing defence agreements and training programmes had contributed to improving the professional competence and operational capabilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
Oluyede further stressed that continued collaboration with strategic international partners remained vital to strengthening the military’s capacity to respond effectively to emerging threats.
According to him, such partnerships would also promote greater self-reliance, institutional resilience and operational efficiency within the Armed Forces.
Both parties expressed optimism about the future of the UK-Nigeria defence and security partnership, reaffirming their commitment to building on existing achievements and identifying additional areas of cooperation for mutual benefit.
