President Bola Tinubu announced that Nigeria has secured French collaboration on military equipment and support following discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron. The announcement came during a meeting with governors at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos after returning from a UK state visit.
Tinubu said Nigeria plans to leverage its goodwill and existing lines of credit to acquire equipment and training for security forces to fight terrorism. “I can report to you, yesterday again, at a lengthy discussion with Emmanuel Macron, their collaboration with us for equipment and support,” he stated.
He described insecurity as the next major challenge for his administration, emphasising the need for collective effort. “The next phase of our struggle is staring us in the face; it is the challenge of insecurity in this country,” Tinubu said.
The President noted that insecurity is an obstacle to development and progress. He highlighted that a key topic during his UK visit was military equipment acquisition and reiterated that Nigeria must defeat terrorism through investment in technology and logistics.
Tinubu also addressed economic concerns, noting that the Middle East crisis could affect inflation, purchasing power, and transportation costs in Nigeria, adding that labour unions may respond to mitigate these challenges.
During the meeting, he urged governors to prioritise care for vulnerable citizens, extended condolences to Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum following recent bombings, and reaffirmed his commitment to equipping security agencies to tackle terrorism.
The meeting followed coordinated suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri that killed 23 and injured 108. France has historically cooperated with West African countries on counter-terrorism operations, and Tinubu’s UK visit also resulted in new export agreements and strengthened security cooperation with the United Kingdom.
