By Joy Yesufu
The United Kingdom’s Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Sir Charlie Collins, has arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, for a high-level assessment of defence cooperation between the UK and Nigeria as both countries seek to strengthen collaboration in tackling security challenges across the region.
The visit was announced on Tuesday by the British Defence Staff West Africa through its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to the statement, the visit highlights the United Kingdom’s continued support for Nigeria-led initiatives aimed at enhancing security, combating terrorism and insurgency, and promoting stability across West Africa.
“Welcome to Nigeria, Lt Gen Sir Charlie Collins KBE DSO, UK Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations). In Maiduguri with Nigerian Army colleagues, seeing UK-Nigeria defence cooperation first-hand and supporting Nigeria-led efforts to strengthen security and regional stability,” the post stated.
Images released from the visit showed Lieutenant General Collins receiving a ceremonial guard of honour and participating in meetings with senior officers of the Nigerian Army.
The visit also featured exchanges of commemorative plaques and discussions focused on ongoing military cooperation between both countries.
The engagement comes at a time when Nigeria is intensifying efforts to address terrorism, insurgency and other transnational security threats, particularly in the North-East region, with support from international partners.
Defence analysts say the visit reflects the growing strategic partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom in areas such as military training, intelligence sharing, capacity building and counter-terrorism operations.
The Nigerian Army has continued to work closely with allied nations and regional partners to enhance operational effectiveness and sustain gains recorded in the fight against insecurity.
