The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), has held strategic talks with a European Union delegation to finalise delivery modalities for the €20 million defence support package granted to Nigeria under the European Peace Facility.
The Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, confirmed the bilateral engagement at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters in Abuja in an official press release.
Receiving the European External Action Service delegation led by Ms Claire Gaudin at Ship House, General Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment “to developing indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities toward national self-sufficiency.”
General Musa welcomed the bilateral assistance sealed in October 2026, noting that the package represents the European Union’s first-ever direct bilateral defence support to Nigeria and will significantly bolster the operational readiness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in counterterrorism operations across the Lake Chad Basin.
General Musa urged European partners to leverage the momentum of the recently concluded Africa Defence Exhibition to establish local defence production lines in Nigeria, while emphasising the nation’s resolve to track and dismantle terrorist financing networks globally.
While acknowledging that the current European Peace Facility tranche focuses on non-lethal supplies comprising specialised equipment, technical training, and maintenance, General Musa expressed optimism that military medical support and advanced surveillance systems will be integrated into subsequent phases.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and Head of the European Peace Facility at the European External Action Service, Ms Claire Gaudin, stated that “the €20 million fund will provide Counter-Improvised Explosive Device equipment, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems, night vision capabilities, and individual protective gear for deployed troops.”
Ms Gaudin noted that the priority areas were jointly selected with the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria following extensive bilateral consultations, stressing that Nigeria joins over 20 African nations among 30 global beneficiaries of the instrument.
Ms Gaudin confirmed that the package complements broader regional stabilisation efforts under the Multinational Joint Task Force, with both delegations also exploring deeper security cooperation across the Gulf of Guinea maritime corridor.
Established by the 27 European Union member states in March 2021 for the 2021 to 2027 financial cycle, the European Peace Facility serves as an off-budget financial instrument designed to strengthen partner armed forces worldwide in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and international security.
