By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Honourable Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, received a high-level Czech delegation led by the Junior Deputy Minister of Defence, Radka Konderlova.
The delegation was accompanied by the Czech Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Zdenek Krejci, and senior Czech officials.
The visit focused on strengthening bilateral defence and security cooperation between Nigeria and the Czech Republic.
Welcoming the delegation, the Minister commended the Czech Republic’s continued engagement with Nigeria, describing it as “a clear demonstration of friendship and a shared commitment to addressing common security challenges in Nigeria, West Africa, and the wider world.”
He noted that earlier exchanges — including the follow-up visit of Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff to Prague — underscore the seriousness of the partnership.
The Minister said bilateral discussions initiated in January 2023 through Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are now maturing into concrete collaborations that will deliver tangible benefits to both countries.
He expressed optimism that the current visit will accelerate progress toward a comprehensive bilateral defence cooperation agreement.
“This partnership goes beyond visits; it is about building lasting frameworks that will strengthen our armed forces, promote regional stability, and deepen the friendship between our two countries,” the Minister added.
The Czech Junior Deputy Minister of Defence, Radka Konderlova, reaffirmed Nigeria’s standing as the Czech Republic’s most important defence partner in West Africa.
She said the foundations for strong bilateral cooperation have already been laid and confirmed that Nigeria is among the select countries with which the Czech Republic is pursuing a formal defence cooperation agreement, underscoring the seriousness of the partnership.
Both sides agreed to maintain regular high-level exchanges and to fast-track working-level negotiations on areas of mutual interest, including training, capacity-building, logistics, and equipment interoperability.
