The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening defence and military cooperation between both countries.

The development was announced in a statement issued by Enderline Chukwu for the Director, Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Defence.

The MoU was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, and the Assistant Minister of Defence for Executive Affairs of Saudi Arabia, Dr Khaled Al-Biyari.

Speaking at the ceremony, Matawalle said the agreement would boost Nigeria’s defence architecture and enhance the operational capacity of the armed forces.

According to the ministry, the MoU will run for an initial five-year period, with an option for renewal.

The pact provides a framework for cooperation in areas such as training, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, technical support, logistics and other mutually agreed military activities.