Nigerian army chief Shaibu meets Kagame in Kigali to deepen defence ties
- Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu met Rwanda's President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Thursday.
- The army said the talks covered terrorism, training exchanges and defence manufacturing.
- Shaibu also met Rwanda's defence minister and army chief, Maj Gen Vincent Nyakarundi.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, met Rwanda's President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Thursday, as the Nigerian Army looks to build closer defence ties with Rwanda.
According to a statement by Colonel Appolonia Anele, the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Shaibu passed on greetings from President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian Army, and thanked Kagame for the welcome given to his team.
The army said the visit was about working together against terrorism, violent extremism and other security threats that cross borders in Africa.
What was discussed
Shaibu also sat down separately with Rwanda's Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Army Chief of Staff, Major General Vincent Nyakarundi.
Their talks centred on military cooperation, exchanges between officers and areas where both armies could gain from working together.
The Nigerian Army said it is ready to partner the Rwanda Defence Force through specialised training, joint exercises and cooperation on defence technology.
Shaibu also visited the Rwandan Engineering Manufacturing Company (REMCO), where he praised Rwanda's ability to design and build equipment locally.
He said homegrown defence production matters for modernising an army and reducing reliance on others, and showed interest in sharing technical knowledge, joint research and manufacturing partnerships. Such ties, the statement said, could help Nigeria produce more of its own equipment and maintain what it already has.
During the meeting, Shaibu commended Rwanda's transformation since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, pointing to lessons in national reconstruction, institutional resilience and social cohesion. He expressed sympathy for the victims and honoured the roughly 600 personnel of the 3rd Battalion who took part in the liberation struggle.
He said leadership, discipline and national resolve remain key to tackling the security problems African countries face.
Why it matters
Nigeria has long battled Boko Haram and other armed groups in the north-east, banditry in the north-west and separatist violence in the south-east. The army says sustained cooperation and shared responsibility among African nations are essential to countering cross-border threats and keeping the region stable.
The army did not say when any of the planned exchanges or joint exercises would begin, or what they would cost.
