Nigeria, Israel strengthen military ties with new defence cooperation plans
The Nigerian government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening military cooperation with the State of Israel, as both nations explore new avenues for collaboration in defence and security.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Ambassador Gabriel Tanimu Aduda, gave the assurance on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, at the Ministry’s headquarters in Ship House, Abuja.
The high-level meeting focused on deepening bilateral defence relations, with discussions centred around enhancing military training, joint operations, and capacity-building initiatives within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Both sides also reviewed progress toward finalizing a new bilateral defence agreement aimed at fostering technical cooperation in defence industry development.
Ambassador Aduda emphasized the importance of expanding Nigeria-Israel defence ties amid global security challenges, noting that the Ministry of Defence would undertake strategic initiatives to replicate successful Israeli military cooperation frameworks to enhance Nigeria’s defence architecture.
“The Ministry will engage in strategic initiatives to replicate successful Israeli military cooperation frameworks in Nigeria, thereby enhancing our national defence architecture,” Aduda said.
On his part, Ambassador Freeman expressed appreciation for the warm reception and described the strengthening of ties between the two nations as a major step toward achieving innovative defence solutions.
He also extended a formal invitation to Ambassador Aduda and his team to visit Israel for further engagements.
