Nigerian Army to strengthen military cooperation with Egypt – Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai and the Ambassador of Arab Republic of Egypt to Nigeria, Amb. Assem Elseify, have called for strengthened military cooperation between Nigeria and Egypt.

They made the call when the ambassador led a delegation on courtesy call to Army Headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.

Earlier, Elseify disclosed that the purpose of his visit was to explore ways to strengthen the relationship between the two countries especially in the military field.

He said that the visit was also to find ways to agree on areas of cooperation that both countries could pursue for the promotion of military relations and cooperation.

Responding, Buratai said that Nigeria and Egypt had maintained a long standing relationship at both diplomatic and military levels.

He added that both countries had been enjoying reciprocal training programmes for their military officers.

“We have our officers training at the Egyptian Defence College, and this includes other courses at both tactical as well as aviation and air capacity training; which we have done some times in the 90s.

“We also have had a lot of military medical relationship. We have our officers being evacuated and some of them are there and they have received the best of medical facility.

“We really appreciate this and we know that Egypt has the most powerful military in Africa. We have a lot to learn from you,” Buratai said.

The Chief of Army Staff, however, called for collaboration between Nigeria and Egypt to deal with the issue of terrorism globally and within the African continent.

He added that synergy between the two countries would contain the emerging threats of terrorism and extremism in the Sahel region.

“The collaboration can be very helpful, whereby, as at 2016, the centre that was countering terrorism and extremism was established in Egypt when the conference was held there.

“This is quite encouraging, because Egypt is strategic and it is leading the counter terrorism operations within the Sahel region,” he said.