By Bavoriat Clara
Nigeria and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence cooperation as part of ongoing efforts to address contemporary security challenges confronting the nation and the wider region.
This was highlighted on Thursday, 6 February 2026, when the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa Oluyede, received the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
Speaking during the high-level engagement, General Oluyede expressed appreciation to the United Kingdom for its long-standing partnership with the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), particularly in the areas of Professional Military Education, specialised training and operational capacity development. He noted that such sustained collaboration remains vital to Nigeria’s efforts at strengthening its national and regional security architecture.
The CDS reiterated the Armed Forces’ commitment to continuous professional development and stressed the need to further expand mutually beneficial bilateral defence relations. He also expressed optimism that enhanced cooperation with the United Kingdom, especially in emerging security domains and intelligence support, would significantly improve operational effectiveness in line with evolving security realities.
In his remarks, the United Kingdom High Commissioner, Dr Richard Montgomery, congratulated General Oluyede on his distinguished military career and acknowledged the progress made in defence cooperation between both countries. He reaffirmed his country’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with Nigeria, emphasising the shared responsibility of both nations in promoting regional stability, addressing emerging security threats and building sustainable military capacity.
Dr Montgomery described the Nigeria–UK defence partnership as forward-looking and mutually beneficial, noting that continued collaboration would further enhance strategic and operational outcomes.
The engagement underscored the resolve of both countries to deepen defence and security cooperation in response to dynamic regional and global security challenges.
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