Nigeria and the Czech Republic have taken fresh steps to strengthen their bilateral defence and security cooperation, as the Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, CON, mni, hosted a high-level delegation from Prague at the Ministry of Defence in Abuja.
The delegation, led by the Czech Junior Deputy Minister of Defence, Radka Konderlova, was accompanied by the Czech Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Zdenek Krejci, and other senior officials.
Discussions during the visit centered on consolidating the strategic partnership between the two nations in areas of defence, security, and regional stability.
Welcoming the team, Minister Badaru commended the Czech Republic for its sustained engagement with Nigeria, describing it as “a clear demonstration of friendship and a shared commitment to addressing common security challenges in Nigeria, West Africa, and the wider world.”
He emphasized that the exchange of visits, including the recent follow-up mission of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff to Prague, highlights the seriousness and depth of the partnership. 
He noted that bilateral discussions initiated through Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 2023 are now translating into concrete areas of collaboration that promise mutual benefits. According to him, the current engagement is expected to fast-track progress toward a comprehensive bilateral defence cooperation agreement.
“This partnership goes beyond visits; it is about building lasting frameworks that will strengthen our armed forces, promote regional stability, and deepen the friendship between our two countries,” Badaru stated.
On her part, the Czech Junior Deputy Minister of Defence, Radka Konderlova, reaffirmed Nigeria’s position as the Czech Republic’s most important defence partner in West Africa.
She stressed that the foundations for strong collaboration have already been laid, adding that Nigeria is among a select group of countries with which the Czech Republic is pursuing a formal defence cooperation agreement.
Both parties agreed to sustain regular high-level contacts while expediting working-level negotiations on training, capacity-building, logistics, and equipment interoperability.
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