By Ikechukwu Samuel
The United Kingdom has tabled a comprehensive defence package for Nigeria, featuring advanced hardware, intelligence-sharing, and a new forward operating base.
As part of efforts to “deepen its strategic defence partnership with the Nigerian Army,” the UK will provide “air defence systems, counter-unmanned aerial systems and enhanced military intelligence capabilities.”
UK representative Harper detailed the scope, which includes the “establishment of a reference Forward Operating Base within a cantonment environment and the expansion of tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities to brigade level.”
The proposed measures also cover protected mobility vehicles and specialised ammunition support, confirmed by Army spokesperson Colonel Appolonia Anele.
On capacity-building, the UK plans to “expand regional train-the-trainer programmes covering combat tactical drills, casualty care and advanced patrolling.”
Future Operation HADIN KAI training cohorts will notably integrate personnel from Niger, Cameroon, and Chad alongside Nigerian troops, promoting interoperability against shared security threats.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, underscored the partnership’s strategic value, stating it is central to “building a more adaptable, combat-ready and resilient force capable of responding effectively to evolving national and regional security threats.”
He added, “The partnership, he noted, remains central to strengthening operational effectiveness, force protection, intelligence capabilities, specialised training and institutional capacity.”
General Shaibu identified asymmetric warfare in the North-East as a major operational challenge, calling for enhanced ISR, aviation, and round-the-clock domain awareness down to battalion level.
He highlighted the Army’s planned expansion from eight to 12 divisions, which demands urgent investments in advanced training, Special Forces, and the Doma facility.
The COAS reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustained international collaboration to modernise military education, integrate historic campaigns like the Longest Advance into curricula, and digitise archives, while ensuring the force can anticipate, deter, and decisively respond to emerging threats.
