Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have entered into a new five-year defence partnership aimed at strengthening military cooperation between both nations.
ARISE News reported on Tuesday that the pact was announced in a statement issued by Ahmed Dan Wudil, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of State for Defence. According to the statement, the agreement will encompass “strategic collaboration across security, military training, intelligence sharing, defence production, and joint operations for sustainable security development.”
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Matawalle, while Dr. Khaleed H. Al-Biyari represented the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The statement described the agreement as “a significant step in boosting bilateral relations, cooperation and enhancing collaborative efforts in tackling emerging security challenges in the country.” The Defence Ministry expressed optimism, saying it “welcomes the development” and believes that the security challenges facing parts of Nigeria “will soon be over.”
The Telegraph earlier reported that Matawalle had faced renewed scrutiny over a resurfaced video in which he commented on terrorism during his tenure as governor of Zamfara State.
Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode condemned the criticism, calling it a “vicious media campaign” and describing the attacks as “shameless and nauseating.”
Defending Matawalle, Fani-Kayode said the minister has remained loyal to President Bola Tinubu and has been instrumental in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts. He argued that cooperation between Matawalle and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu “has resulted in the killing of more terrorists in the last two years than in the previous eight put together.”
Fani-Kayode also criticised what he called the government’s reluctance to highlight security successes. “My only grouse is that… they do not make this public,” he said.
He urged Matawalle to “remain focused,” praising him as “a ruthless and courageous fighter,” and added: “We are with you, my brother, and more importantly, God is behind you.”
