Nigeria, Cameroon sign defence pact to strengthen border, maritime security
By: Zagazola Makama
Nigeria and Cameroon have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral defence cooperation aimed at enhancing security along their shared border and strengthening maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The agreement was signed in Yaoundé by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, and Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Assomo, following two days of deliberations by defence and security experts from both countries.
The MoU establishes a comprehensive framework for cooperation in both terrestrial and maritime domains, with a focus on addressing emerging security challenges affecting the two neighbouring countries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the officials reaffirmed their commitment to deepening military collaboration and promoting regional stability through coordinated security efforts.
The agreement provides for enhanced intelligence sharing, operational coordination, logistics support, joint military training, personnel exchange programmes and collective response mechanisms to evolving threats.
The pact is expected to strengthen border security, improve interoperability between the armed forces of both countries and bolster efforts to combat transnational crimes, terrorism, piracy and other security challenges within the region.
The two countries also pledged to sustain regular engagements between their defence and security institutions to ensure effective implementation of the agreement.
Nigeria and Cameroon share extensive land and maritime boundaries and have maintained longstanding security cooperation, particularly in efforts to combat terrorism, insurgency and criminal activities in the Lake Chad Basin and the Gulf of Guinea.
Defence officials from both countries expressed optimism that the new framework would further consolidate bilateral relations and contribute to peace, security and economic development across the region.
