Nigeria and China Partner on Military Training and Local Arms Production
Nigeria and China are set to deepen their military collaboration, focusing on training and local arms manufacturing. This development follows China’s announcement of a CN¥1 billion grant to Nigeria and other countries, aimed at training over 7,000 military personnel.
The disclosure was made by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, after a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Tuggar emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to self-reliance in military production, stating, “We want to work with countries like China in domesticating the production of military equipment, both kinetic and non-kinetic. This will eliminate delays and bureaucratic hurdles associated with external procurement.”
He urged for collaborative solutions, saying, “Let us work together towards solving our problems by ourselves. Private military companies, regardless of their origin, are not the answer. Nigeria, as a responsible nation with no expansionist tendencies, can lead others in addressing these challenges through strategic partnerships.”
The meeting underscores Nigeria's commitment to strengthening bilateral ties with China to address security challenges while fostering local military production capabilities.
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