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Nigeria Tanzania Militaries Sustain Defence Collaboration

Published

6 years ago

April 20, 2021

Joel Ajayi

The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has expressed commitment to deepen its defence collaboration with the Tanzanian Armed Forces in order to address the contemporary security challenges bedeviling both countries.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor made the call today during the visit of participants of the 9th intake 2020/2021 of the Tanzanian National Defence College (TNDC) to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja.

In a press statement issued by the Acting Director Defence Information Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu on Tuesday in Abuja

The CDS who was represented by the Director of Policy, DHQ, Major General Mainasara Masanawa said there was need for Nigeria and Tanzania Armed Forces to strengthen the existing defence collaboration, which he noted, dates back to when both countries gained their independence.

According to Gen Irabor, “As Africans, both militaries have to cooperate to enable them share knowledge and modalities for addressing diverse security challenges in order to promote peace and security on the African continent.”

The CDS noted that participants of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Nigeria usually paid visit to Tanzania as part of their regional tour.

In his remarks, the leader of the TNDC delegation, Brigadier General Marianus Mhagama expressed appreciation to the AFN leadership for facilitating their trip to Nigeria in this critical period of global pandemic as well as the cordial and warm reception accorded him and his team.

Brig Gen Mhagama who is also the Senior Directing Staff of the TNDC, disclosed that Tanzania has over the years maintained harmonious relationship with Nigeria.

He eulogized the Nigerian Military for participating in several peace support operations and the stabilization of democracy in some African nations .

Commenting further on the tour, Brig Gen Mhagama said Nigeria, Ghana and the Republic of Congo were chosen due to their geographical locations as strategic neighbours.

He further disclosed that the 5-day study tour has exposed the participants, who are drawn from the military, Government Agencies, Ministries and Departments to be abreast with the history, politics, defence capabilities, foreign diplomacies as well as economic and social cultural behaviour of the people. He added that two officers from the AFN were among the foreign participants.

He however advocated for more training slots for personnel of the Tanzania Armed Forces in the National Defence College.

The participants were later briefed on the organization, roles and functions of the DHQ, where it was pointed out that AFN Research and Development drive is recording the desired feats in local manufacturing of military soft and hard-wares that have added impetus to the ongoing operations in the Northeast and other parts of the country.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

17 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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