February 16, 2022

France, a long-standing ally of Nigeria in defence and security matters may ramp up her support for Nigeria as she confronts the orgy of terrorism mostly in the northern part of the country.

This followed the request of Minister of Defence, rtd  Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi, who called for renewal of existing bilateral military agreements between Nigeria and France to reflect real-time security related needs of the two countries.

Magashi made the call when the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, paid him a courtesy visit on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Mohammad Abdulkadri, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

The minister said that Nigeria and France were strategic partners, adding that the partnerships needed to be rejigged to take it to higher level.

He said that more proactive intelligence gathering mechanism and technological support to drive new information sharing regime to aid military campaigns in the country.

Magashi however asked for technological transfer to galvanise the nation’s military capabilities.

Earlier, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, commended the minister for his desire to strengthen the existing bilateral agreements between the two countries.

Blatmann requested for technical interface between the two parties to examine critical areas of mutual benefits in the proposed rebirth of Memorandum of Understanding.

She told the minister that France would reinforce efforts to end terrorism in Nigeria and Piracy in Gulf of Guinea.

Nigerian military has been stretched thin across the country with insecurity including kidnapping and banditry spreading faster than anticipated.