Nigeria and the Republic of Benin have agreed to deepen their defence cooperation and strengthen joint efforts to combat cross-border insecurity across West Africa.

The agreement was reached during a three-day working visit to Cotonou by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), at the invitation of his Beninese counterpart, Gildas Agonkan.

During the talks, both countries agreed to:

Strengthen intelligence sharing through real-time information exchange.

Coordinate military operations against bandits, terrorists, insurgents, and other transnational criminal groups.

Enhance border security and protect the Gulf of Guinea from piracy and maritime crime.

Promote regional stability, democratic governance, and cooperation under ECOWAS and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

General Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and announced that Nigeria would work more closely with Beninese forces to prevent criminals from exploiting the shared border.

Speaking to Nigerian troops deployed in Togbin, Cotonou, under Operation ATILEYIN ALAFIA II, Musa said:

“We are going to partner with the troops of the Republic of Benin to ensure that we stop all those bandits, all those criminals that are killing people in our countries.”

He also assured the troops that the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu, remains committed to improving their welfare and providing the equipment and support needed for their operations.

As part of the visit, the Nigerian delegation toured the Centre for Post-Conflict Demining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operations and the Glo-Djigbe Industrial Zone to explore opportunities for defence technology, capacity building, and industrial collaboration.

The minister also met with Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin, Mrs. Mopelola Ibrahim, before returning to Abuja.