The European Union (EU) is preparing a €20 million defence assistance package for Nigeria’s Armed Forces, with a technical delegation expected in Abuja in November 2026, to finalise delivery arrangements under the European Peace Facility.
The proposed assistance was discussed when the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), received the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, and his delegation at Ship House, Abuja.
The meeting also reviewed bilateral defence agreements and security cooperation.
Ambassador Mignot commended the Minister’s efforts to address Nigeria’s security challenges and invited him to a meeting of Defence Ministers in Brussels later in the year.
Musa thanked the EU for its continued support and reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to protecting Nigerians and advancing national development.
He said; “military and other security operations were gradually restoring relative peace, although highway kidnappings and attacks on isolated communities remained major concerns.”
The Minister also highlighted Nigeria’s expectations of receiving 10 attack helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and other major military equipment through ongoing efforts under the President’s leadership.
Regional Security
On regional security, Musa warned that the shrinking Lake Chad Basin, which supports more than 50 million people, could contribute to instability.
He stressed that preventing terrorist groups from accessing holding areas on the Lake Chad islands remained a key operational priority for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
He called for victims of the conflict, including affected military personnel, to be prioritised in the implementation of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme.
Ambassador Mignot commended a recent conference of past and present MNJTF force commanders, attended by representatives of the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission.
The planned EU technical visit is expected to establish arrangements for delivering the proposed assistance, reinforcing defence cooperation as Nigeria confronts persistent security threats and wider regional challenges.
The Ministry of Defence disclosed the details in a press release dated 17 October 2026, signed by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Defence.
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