Nigeria and Sierra Leone pledge enhanced defense cooperation

Nigeria and Sierra Leone have agreed to deepen their defense partnership to address security threats across West Africa. During a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and Sierra Leone’s Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Amara Idara Bangura, committed to increased intelligence sharing, joint training, and coordinated responses to terrorism and violent extremism.

Lieutenant General Shaibu emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to regional stability, citing the nation’s history of peacekeeping through the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). He urged members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to strengthen defense ties, particularly among English-speaking nations, to better combat transnational threats.