The deal aims to bolster regional security and stability, according to a joint press release by the Nigerian Defense Ministry and distributed by official media in this capital.

The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to resume and strengthen cooperation for regional stability and security, the parties stated after the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) by their respective defense ministers in Niamey.

Nigeria is the seat for the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which imposed sanctions upon and threatened with a military response to the perpetrators of the coup that overthrew Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.

ECOWAS’ pressure not only went unheeded, but rather prompted the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, which also emerged from military takeovers, to take sides with the Nigerien authorities and then, in September, to create the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), a multifaceted confederation.

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