Nigeria and the European Union (EU) have strengthened ties towards further cementing the existing relations between them through improved defence engagements.

A statement by the Director, Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the decision was reached when the EU mbassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede, at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ambassador Gautier, while congratulating the CDS on his appointment, restated the intention of the EU to support Nigeria towards overcoming its security challenges.

He reiterated the importance of Nigeria to members of the European Union with 19 out of 27 member-states maintaining diplomatic representation in the country.

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The EU Ambassador highlighted many ongoing EU non-kinetic projects across Nigeria to support peacebuilding efforts. He restated the commitment of the EU to support Nigeria in the current complex moment which is not limited to the military alone but includes broader areas including governance and politics.

Earlier, in his own remarks, the CDS expressed gratitude for all that the EU does in support of Nigeria which he said he is very much conversant with. The CDS was also full of appreciation for the EU's plan to engage with Nigeria on the security front as opposed to the existing arrangement of giving military support to mainly the Multinational Joint Task Force.

The CDS solicited for the fast tracking of the process as Nigeria is grappling with multi-faceted security challenges and would therefore warmly welcome support from the EU in tackling the challenges.