The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, has emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening its bilateral relations with the United States in military cooperation.
This statement was made during a meeting with a United States Air War College delegation, who are currently on a Foreign Study Tour of allied countries, held at Ship House in Abuja.
Dr. Kana described Nigeria’s foreign policy as Afrocentric, highlighting the country’s significant role in providing Peace Support Operations to various African countries, including Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Gambia, Sudan, and Chad, among others.
US-Nigeria Bilateral Relations (Credits: Defence Headquarters)
The longstanding bilateral relationship between Nigeria and the United States, which began in 1960, has seen significant growth, particularly after the inauguration of civilian President in 1999.
This period marked a deepening of the relationship and increased cooperation on foreign policy goals, especially in regional peacekeeping efforts.
The visit of the United States Air War College participants was seen as an opportunity to further strengthen military cooperation between the two countries.
The leader of the delegation, Col. Gunter John, expressed appreciation to the Permanent Secretary for granting them an audience. He noted that the visit would allow them to learn from Nigeria’s approach to defence management and its defence structures.
During the meeting, the Ministry presented an overview of the existing bilateral military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. The discussions underscored the importance of such collaborations as a valuable tool for future cooperation between the two nations.
