By Joy Odor
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar Badaru, on Wednesday welcomed the recent Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to enhancing bilateral defence cooperation.
The dialogue, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and made available to newsmen in a press statement Mati Ali, the PA Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister of Defence focused on four critical areas which are: –
– *Maritime Security*: Combating piracy, trafficking, and other transnational maritime threats in the Gulf of Guinea.
– *Joint Training and Capacity Building*: Enhancing collaboration in defence training and capacity building.
– *Defence Industry and Technology Transfer*: Exploring opportunities for co-production, technology transfer, and direct investment with Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation (DICON).
– *Intelligence Sharing*: Expanding efforts to combat drug trafficking and terrorism financing.
“This dialogue reaffirms our shared vision for peace, security, and sustainable development. The path forward is promising. Let us sustain this partnership with vision, purpose, and a shared commitment to regional stability” he said.
The Minister commended the leadership of both nations’ Vice Presidents and expressed gratitude to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs for their roles in advancing this initiative.
He also acknowledged Brazil’s leadership in the Zone of Peace and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZOPACAS) and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to participating in the upcoming Ninth Ministerial Meeting in Brazil.
