Insurgency: Nigeria/Pakistan to partner in Border Monitoring, intelligence – Defence Minister.

Insurgency: Nigeria/Pakistan to partner in Border Monitoring, intelligence – Defence Minister.
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali yesterday disclosed that Nigeria’s military needed to synergize with the government of Pakistani military in the areas of the border monitoring and intelligence gathering which Pakistan was renowned for, in the fight against Boko Haram insurgency.
Ali made the disclosure just as the Pakistani Ambassador, Agha Umar Farouk pledged that Pakistan not only ready to support anti-terrorism efforts anywhere in the world but most recently made the support of Nigeria and we have been doing a good job in terms of the ammunition supplied and maintenance of aircrafts and operational worthiness of platforms.
Speaking when the ambassador visited him in Abuja, the minister said, “The cooperation between Nigeria and Pakistan has lasted more than four decades. A lot of things are common to all of us. We also know that we have very other common challenges especially with insurgency. You have long experience of fighting insurgency in your country, and we look for assistance in that direction.
“We share a common determination and we share common problems. We remember like you said a team has visited your country to access how we can train our personnel in fighting insurgency.
“We are also working towards bringing you to come and access and assist us in the revival of our Defence Industry in Kaduna.
Earlier, the Pakistani Ambassador recalled that “The two nations have similar challenges saying the opportunities that we share over the decades has resulted in the building of tangible cooperation not only in defence but also in agriculture and science and technology as well as education.
“But the cooperation with the ministry of defence has been in the area of training, and capacity building among our military. The intervention has been tangible and we will sustain it over the years”.
“I’m also aware of the long standing defence and training cooperation of 50 years. Many Nigeria military officers have been going to Pakistan. Pakistan is willing to cooperate in the Nigeria military in fighting boko haram and this is also because of Nigeria’s position in the African Union.”
“Pakistan is also willing to cooperate in building the power sector and in the education sector” he said.
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