EU Unveils €20m Security Package For Nigeria

Nigeria and the European Union have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership, with plans underway for President Bola Tinubu to make an official visit to Brussels in October 2026.

The commitment was made on Thursday during a meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot.

Mignot said consultations were ongoing with the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to finalise arrangements for the visit, which he said would deepen cooperation and unveil new areas of partnership.

The EU envoy also disclosed that the bloc was finalising a €20 million support package under the European Peace Facility to boost Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts through the provision of counter-drone and counter-improvised explosive device equipment.

He added that another €25 million peace and stabilisation programme for Nigeria’s North-West was being prepared alongside other peacebuilding initiatives.

On economic cooperation, Mignot said the EU was preparing a €25 million agricultural programme focused on the dairy and cocoa value chains.

He also highlighted growing investments by the European Investment Bank and other European financial institutions in Nigerian small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly women- and youth-owned businesses.

The envoy said negotiations were also progressing on a Nigeria-EU Readmission Agreement and a Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Agreement aimed at expanding research opportunities for Nigerian institutions.

In her remarks, Odumegwu-Ojukwu welcomed the growing momentum in Nigeria-EU relations and commended the bloc’s continued support for Nigeria’s security, development and peacebuilding efforts.

She described the proposed presidential visit as an opportunity to deepen trade and investment ties, attract more foreign investment and strengthen existing strategic initiatives.

The minister also praised the EU’s understanding of Nigeria’s security challenges, noting that the country’s insecurity stems from terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts, resource competition and criminality rather than religious persecution alone.

Both sides also discussed democratic governance, migration, regional security, developments within ECOWAS and the Alliance of Sahel States, and broader international issues.

The EU announced its intention to deploy an Electoral Expert Mission ahead of Nigeria’s forthcoming elections to provide technical support for electoral reforms.

The meeting ended with both parties reaffirming their commitment to expanding cooperation in trade, security, renewable energy, agriculture, infrastructure, innovation and regional peace.

The meeting expressed confidence that President Tinubu’s proposed Brussels visit would mark a new milestone in Nigeria-EU relations.