Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, CON, mni, has emphasized the need to strengthen the country’s defence and security partnership with the European Union, particularly in combating terrorism and banditry.
The Minister made this known during a courtesy visit by Mr. Casmin Dirban, Director of Peace Partnership and Crisis Management at the European External Action Service (EEAS), to the Ministry of Defence headquarters at Ship House, Abuja.
During the meeting, Badaru underscored the importance of forging deeper strategic ties with the EU, calling for deliberate efforts to explore new areas of collaboration in defence and security.
“We need to work deeply on our security and defence collaboration. Nigeria is open to stronger engagement with the EU to tackle pressing threats like terrorism and banditry,” the Minister said. 
The high-level meeting focused on enhancing cooperation to address Nigeria’s security challenges, with both parties expressing commitment to building on existing frameworks.
Earlier, Mr. Dirban, who was accompanied by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, acknowledged the longstanding bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the European Union. He expressed the EU’s readiness to elevate the partnership for greater impact in the areas of peace and security.
This visit marks another step in the ongoing efforts by Nigeria’s defence leadership to build sustainable international alliances aimed at strengthening the country’s internal security architecture.
LV