European Union flags fly outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 10, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman

By Favour Ulebor, Abuja

The European Union (EU) has committed €112 million to support Nigeria’s security operations and migration management efforts as part of measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation between both sides.

The EU disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday following the visit of its Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Mr Magnus Brunner, to Abuja, where he held meetings with key members of the Nigerian government.

The funding comprises €66 million for migration-related projects, €26 million for security interventions, including efforts to tackle the proliferation of small arms and drug trafficking, and €20 million under the European Peace Facility to support Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.

During the visit, Brunner met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro.

The visit came a day after Nigeria and the EU signed the EU-Nigeria Readmission Agreement, aimed at strengthening cooperation on migration management and facilitating the return of Nigerians who do not have the right to remain in EU member states.

The EU said its migration partnership with Nigeria had recorded significant improvements in recent years, particularly through cooperation between Nigerian authorities and European agencies, including Europol, Eurojust and Frontex.

It added that the partnership had expanded beyond migration to cover security, trade, regional economic cooperation and other areas of mutual interest.

According to the statement, bilateral relations gained further momentum following the eighth EU-Nigeria Ministerial Meeting held in Abuja in March, with the participation of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.

The EU also disclosed that its Global Gateway initiative was being implemented in Nigeria through several projects across different sectors by the EU and its member states under the Team Europe approach.

Speaking on the partnership, Brunner said: “Nigeria is a key partner for Europe, and our ties are steadily growing stronger. Together we are turning dialogue into action: more security, better migration management, joining forces to bring results. We are turning the huge potential of our partnership into mutual benefit.”

He said the visit provided an opportunity to review the partnership, advance cooperation on shared priorities and prepare for further engagement between both sides in areas beyond migration and security.

EU commits €112m to Nigeria’s security, migration management

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