Nigeria, Brazil move to establish bilateral defence cooperation

The Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd) has emphasised the need for win-win bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil that will attract technological transfer to the nation’s Defence industry.

Solacebase reports that General Magashi stated this when a six-man delegation Co-led by the Nigerian Ambassador-designate to Brazil, Professor Ahmed Makarfi and his Brazilian Counterpart Recardo Guerra De Araujo paid him a courtesy call at the Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Ship House Abuja.

This was contained in a statement issued on Friday, by Mohammad Abdulkadri Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence on Media and Publicity.

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The statement said the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Republic of Brazil share common Constitutional, Cultural and historical affinities that are strong enough to attract new defence bilateral Cooperation.

‘’The defence Minister assured the delegation that the pending draft documents of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU before the two countries will be revisited, reviewed and reworked to reflect the present reality in the defence sector, ‘’said the statement.

‘’General Magashi however emphasised the need for robust joint Training, strategic partnership in the management of intelligence and shared prospects for technological transfer as well as in the critical  area of  Research and Development, R & D.’’

‘’The Ambassador-designate to Brazil Professor Ahmed Makarfi and his Brazilian Counterpart thanked the Minister of  defence for the  audience and the mutual  understanding on the need to ratify and implement soonest the proposed Memorandum of Understanding in the interest of the militaries of the two countries.’’

‘’The Brazilian Ambassador who was accompanied by the Deputy Ambassador of Brazil Ronaldo Lima Vieira and the Defence Attache Col Claudia Mandine seized the opportunity of the courtesy call to present some documents on  practical guide to drive what to expect from the  technological elements  in the proposed defence cooperation between the two countries which he explained will be a Force Multiplier in the nation’s Counterterrorism and anti banditry operations.’’