President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that Nigeria has secured collaboration from France on military equipment and training following discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The president made this known on Sunday during a meeting with state governors at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, where he is observing the Eid al-Fitr celebrations after returning from a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom.
Tinubu said Nigeria is ready to leverage its international goodwill and existing credit lines to strengthen its security capacity.
“I can report to you, yesterday again, at a lengthy discussion with Emmanuel Macron, their collaboration with us for equipment and support.
“I’m making frantic efforts to contact other nations. If we have to spend our goodwill and line of credit, we have those who are willing to support us with equipment and training,” he said.
Describing insecurity as a major challenge facing his administration, the president called for collective efforts to tackle the situation.
“The next phase of our struggle is staring us in the face; it is the challenge of insecurity in this country.
“I’m making all the efforts to ensure it is us collectively that we share the joy and be proud of victory over tyranny,” he added.
Tinubu noted that discussions during his recent UK visit also focused heavily on acquiring military equipment to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
The meeting with governors came days after deadly attacks in Maiduguri, where explosions killed 23 people and injured over 100 others. Following the incident, the president directed security chiefs to relocate to the state and approved additional operational support.
Vice President Kashim Shettima had earlier visited victims receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.
Tinubu assured Nigerians that the federal government is increasing investment in equipment, logistics, and technology to combat terrorism and other security threats.
“We must defeat terrorism and all of these criminal acts. As our investment in technology and equipment, we must defeat them,” he declared.
He also warned that the ongoing Middle East crisis could impact Nigeria’s economy, particularly through rising inflation and reduced purchasing power.
“I know this Middle East crisis will elicit inflation and will affect our purchasing power.
“The labour union and others will be gathering to support them because of the effect of the Middle East war and prices at the pumps, resulting in transportation problems and food prices,” he said.
The president commended the governors for attending the meeting at short notice and urged them to prioritise the welfare of vulnerable citizens in their states.
Nigeria continues to grapple with multiple security challenges, including insurgency by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in the North-East, as well as banditry and kidnapping across other regions.
