Yaounde: The Federal Government of Nigeria and Cameroon have formalized a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on security. The agreement was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa, and the Presidency in Charge of Defence of the Republic of Cameroon, Mr. Joseph Assomo. This MoU signifies a major step in deepening bilateral defence cooperation and securing the shared southern border between the two nations.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the signing ceremony in Yaounde concluded two days of intensive deliberations by defence and security experts from both nations. The agreement establishes a modernised framework to counter emerging threats across both terrestrial and maritime domains. It reinforces the long-standing defence relationship between Nigeria and Cameroon by enhancing operational coordination, intelligence sharing, logistics support, joint military training, personnel exchange programmes, and collective responses to emerging security challenges.
The MoU is set to provide a structured framework for military cooperation and operations between the two countries. It aims to institutionalise collaboration in addressing common security concerns. Discussions during the signing also emphasised the importance of the Combined Maritime Joint Task Force as a strategic platform for enhancing maritime security and safeguarding economic and security interests within the Gulf of Guinea.
Gen. Musa expressed Nigeria’s readiness to deepen collaboration in defence technology and innovation, highlighting the challenges of limited indigenous production of military hardware in Africa. He underscored the importance of building stronger regional industrial partnerships and reiterated opportunities under Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation framework for collaboration in defence manufacturing, technology transfer, research, innovation, and capacity development.
Mr. Assomo echoed similar sentiments, expressing interest in advancing cooperation in defence innovation and technology. He confirmed that a formal proposal framework is currently being finalised to concrete bilateral arrangements in defence technology, marking a pivotal milestone in Nigeria-Cameroon relations and reinforcing both nations’ commitment to sustainable peace, regional sovereignty, and collaborative defence.