Civil society organisation, the International Society for Poverty Elimination/New End Hunger, Malnutrition and Poverty (NEHMAP), has described the newly formed US-Nigeria Working Group on Security as a timely and right step towards tackling the security challenges facing the country.

According to the group, the development will, in no small measure, enable a paradigm shift beyond traditional security tactics towards holistic and sustainable solutions, particularly in the northern part of the country.
The Director General of NEHMAP, Dr Lanre Rotimi, who spoke during a news briefing in Akure, Ondo State capital, stated that while the bilateral security initiative was welcome, it must be part of a broader as well as more inclusive strategy.

He said: “The world is facing complex systemic problems, including poverty, inequality, climate change, and pandemics. We need a holistic approach to address these challenges, involving the whole of society, governments, universities, banks, media, and civil society.
“The US-Nigeria Working Group on Security is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough. We need to move beyond traditional security approaches and prioritise comprehensive sustainable solutions to complex systemic problems.”

IN a related development, the French Defence Attache to Nigeria, Col. Stéphane Useo, has described the defence partnership between Nigeria and France as mutually reinforcing, enhancing the defence capabilities and professional standards of both nations.

Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, at the Army Headquarters in Abuja, Useo reiterated his country’s commitment to deepening defence cooperation with Nigeria, emphasising shared responsibility in promoting regional stability, countering emerging threats and building sustainable military capacity.

Useo commended the Army’s successful recovery operations in the Republic of Benin and advocated expanded access to strategic professional military courses, especially in the areas of Public Relations and Aviation.
Responding, the army chief said the partnership between Nigeria and France would be strengthened in the areas of intelligence sharing, professional military training and support for operational readiness.

Shaibu said this was imperative to advance Nigeria’s efforts to address insecurity through sustained international defence cooperation, saying that such partnerships remained critical to Nigeria’s broader efforts at countering security threats within the region.
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