Nigeria and Cameroon have sealed a defence cooperation memorandum aimed at tightening military ties and securing their mutual southern frontier. The agreement was signed in Yaoundé by Nigeria’s former Defence Minister, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and Cameroon’s Minister Delegate to the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo.

The two-day meeting in Yaoundé brought together senior military and security officials from both nations. The finalised document establishes an updated framework to address evolving security threats across their land and maritime borders. Key provisions include stronger operational coordination, intelligence exchange, logistical support, joint military training, and personnel exchange programmes. Both countries also agreed to refine their threat response mechanisms to better tackle regional security challenges.

Speaking after the signing, General Musa emphasised that the accord would provide a structured framework for military cooperation and operations, institutionalising joint efforts to address shared security concerns. Discussions also covered the recently established Combined Maritime Task Force. Officials highlighted the urgency of fully operationalising this body, which is seen as vital for enhancing maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and safeguarding regional economic and security interests.

Defence industry collaboration featured prominently in the talks. Nigeria’s minister reiterated his country’s commitment to fostering partnerships in defence technology and innovation. He pointed out that a major obstacle to strengthening African defence capabilities is the continent’s reliance on imported military equipment, stressing the need for deeper regional industrial cooperation.

General Musa also highlighted the potential of Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation, reaffirming openness to collaborative projects focused on military equipment manufacturing, technology transfer, research, innovation, and skills development. For his part, Joseph Beti Assomo expressed Cameroon’s keen interest in expanding bilateral cooperation in defence innovation and technology. He noted that a formal proposal framework is being finalised to bring future joint projects in this sector to fruition.