Badaru reaffirms Nigeria-Czech Republic strategic defence partnership

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has reaffirmed Nigeria’s strategic defence partnership with the Czech Republic, emphasising its importance for both nations.

The Minister’s assurance was given in Abuja while he hosted a high-level Czech delegation led by the Junior Deputy Minister of Defence, Radka Konderlova, accompanied by the Czech Ambassador to Nigeria, Zdenek Krejci, and senior Czech officials.

In a statement made available to Defence Correspondents on Wednesday by Pat Ituke for the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Ministry of Defence, Minister Badaru commended the Czech Republic’s sustained engagement with Nigeria.

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He described it as “a clear demonstration of friendship and a shared commitment to addressing common security challenges in Nigeria, West Africa, and the wider world.”

The Minister noted that earlier exchanges, including a follow-up visit by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff to Prague, underscore the seriousness of the partnership.

Badaru highlighted that the bilateral discussions, which began in January 2023 through Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are now “maturing into concrete collaborations that will deliver tangible benefits to both countries.”

He expressed optimism that the current visit would accelerate 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.”

In her remarks, the Czech Junior Deputy Minister of Defence, Radka Konderlova, reaffirmed Nigeria’s status as the Czech Republic’s most important defence partner in West Africa.

She confirmed that the foundations for strong bilateral cooperation have already been laid and that Nigeria is among the select countries with which the Czech Republic is pursuing a formal defence cooperation agreement, further underscoring the partnership’s seriousness.

The visit, which focused on strengthening bilateral defence and security cooperation, concluded with both sides agreeing to maintain regular high-level exchanges.

They also agreed to fast-track working-level negotiations on areas of mutual interest, including training, capacity-building, logistics, and equipment interoperability.