Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has met with the French Defence Attaché to Nigeria, Colonel Stéphane Useo, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja to strengthen defence collaboration between the two countries.
The meeting focused on enhancing intelligence sharing, professional military training, and operational readiness to address evolving security threats in the region.
Lieutenant General Shaibu commended France for its sustained support and partnership with the Nigerian Army, noting that such collaboration is “vital to Nigeria’s broader counter-security strategy.”
He reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to continuous professional development across all corps and highlighted the importance of mutually beneficial bilateral defence cooperation aimed at capacity building, advanced training, and improved operational effectiveness.
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Colonel Stéphane Useo praised the resilience and dedication of the Nigerian Army in tackling emerging security challenges, particularly its successful recovery operations in the Republic of Benin.
He called for expanded access for Nigerian Army personnel to strategic professional military courses, including Public Relations and Aviation, and recognised the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information as “one of the best institutions in Africa for civil-military affairs and information management.”
Colonel Useo reiterated France’s commitment to deepening defence cooperation, stressing the shared responsibility to “promote regional stability, counter emerging threats, and build sustainable military capacity.” He described the partnership as mutually reinforcing, enhancing the defence capabilities and professional standards of both nations.
The high-level engagement also centred on strengthening operational cooperation between the Nigerian Army and the French Armed Forces in response to dynamic regional and global security challenges, with both parties expressing optimism about long-term collaboration.