Nigeria, EU discuss €20 million defence package

ABUJA, Nigeria — The Federal Government has held talks with the European Union to finalise arrangements for delivering a €20 million defence support package aimed at strengthening the operational capabilities of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, November 13, 2026, by Leah Katung-Babatunde, Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence on Media. It followed a meeting between the Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, and a delegation from the European External Action Service led by Claire Gaudin.

The package is being provided under the European Union’s European Peace Facility. It is the bloc’s first bilateral defence support package for Nigeria, and will focus on non-lethal military equipment, technical training and maintenance.

Gaudin said the €20 million facility would support the procurement of Counter-Improvised Explosive Device equipment, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems, night vision capabilities and individual protective gear for Nigerian troops.

The priority areas were identified jointly with the leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces after extensive bilateral consultations, Katung-Babatunde said. She added that Nigeria is among more than 20 African countries benefiting from the European Peace Facility, which has 30 beneficiaries worldwide.

The assistance is intended to complement regional stabilisation efforts, particularly those of the Multinational Joint Task Force operating in the Lake Chad Basin.

Musa welcomed the support, which was agreed in October, and described it as an important contribution to the operational capability of troops engaged in counter-terrorism operations. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building indigenous defence capabilities and reducing dependence on foreign military supplies. He urged the European Union to support local defence production in Nigeria, building on the recently concluded Africa Defence Exhibition, and said Nigeria would continue to track and dismantle terrorist financing networks wherever they operate.

Musa said the current phase is limited to non-lethal assistance, but he expressed optimism that later phases could add military medical services and advanced surveillance capabilities.

In October, the European Union’s ambassador to Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, announced the €20 million package during a meeting with Musa in Abuja. Mignot said a European Union technical delegation would visit Nigeria in November to agree on delivery details. The earlier meeting also reviewed security cooperation, with Musa citing persistent challenges including kidnappings along major highways and attacks on isolated communities.