UK defence chief visits Maiduguri to deepen military cooperation

Lieutenant general Sir Charlie Collins, the United Kingdom’s deputy chief of the defence staff has arrived in Maiduguri, Borno state.

The visit is aimed at assessing ongoing military cooperation and reinforcing support for Nigeria’s security operations, particularly in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the North-East.

The British Defence Staff West Africa disclosed the development in a post on its official X account on Tuesday, noting that the visit highlights the UK’s continued commitment to supporting Nigeria-led initiatives designed to improve security and promote stability across the West African region.

According to the post, Collins is in Maiduguri alongside senior officers of the Nigerian Army to observe defence cooperation efforts and engage with military authorities on areas of mutual interest.

“Welcome to Nigeria, Lt. Gen. Sir Charlie Collins KBE DSO, UK Deputy CDS (MSO). 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 statement said.

Photographs released during the visit showed Collins receiving a military guard of honour and participating in official engagements with Nigerian military commanders, including ceremonial exchanges and strategic discussions.

The visit comes amid renewed efforts by Nigeria to strengthen international partnerships in tackling security challenges, including terrorism, insurgency and cross-border criminal activities affecting parts of the country and the wider Lake Chad region.

Military authorities say collaboration between both countries has continued to focus on capacity building, intelligence sharing, training and operational support aimed at enhancing regional security and stability.