KEY POINTS
- Tinubu confirms French collaboration on military equipment and training after a call with Macron.
- President says equipment acquisition also dominated discussions during his UK state visit.
- Tinubu warns Middle East crisis will push inflation higher and hurt Nigerian purchasing power.
President Bola Tinubu gathered governors at his Ikoyi residence Sunday and told them Nigeria had locked down French military support, disclosing that a lengthy telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron the previous day produced a commitment on equipment and training for the country’s fight against terrorism.
The Tinubu France military deal disclosure came as the President returned from his two-day UK state visit and turned immediately to what he described as the next defining challenge for his administration. Moreover, he revealed that military equipment acquisition had featured prominently in his conversations with British leaders as well, making defence procurement a consistent thread running through both engagements.
“I can report to you, yesterday again, at a lengthy discussion with Emmanuel Macron, their collaboration with us for equipment and support,” Tinubu told the governors. He added that Nigeria stood ready to deploy its goodwill and existing lines of credit to secure the hardware and training its forces needed. “If we have to spend our goodwill and line of credit, we have those who are willing to support us with equipment and training,” he said.
Insecurity declared the next frontline
The Tinubu France military deal announcement came in the context of a broader security reset. Tinubu told the governors that insecurity was now the primary challenge staring his administration down, and he framed it explicitly as a collective fight rather than a federal burden alone. “The next phase of our struggle is staring us in the face; it is the challenge of insecurity in this country,” he said, expressing confidence that governors shared his sense of urgency.
The meeting also carried the weight of recent events. Just over a week before, coordinated suicide bomb attacks in Maiduguri killed 23 people and injured 108 others. In response, Tinubu had already directed security chiefs to relocate to Borno State and approved additional operational support. Additionally, Vice President Kashim Shettima visited wounded victims at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital on Tuesday, assuring Nigerians that equipment and logistics investments were underway.
Middle East war to hit wallets
Beyond security, Tinubu acknowledged the economic pressure building on ordinary Nigerians as a direct result of the Middle East conflict. He warned the governors that rising fuel costs were already feeding through to transport fares and food prices, and that inflation would intensify as the war dragged on.
“I know this Middle East crisis will elicit inflation, will affect our purchasing power,” he said, noting that labour unions and other groups were already mobilising around the cost of living. He called on governors, therefore, to focus on protecting vulnerable residents in their states, arguing that while the administration had made progress, there remained more to do.
France maintains extensive military cooperation across West Africa and has historically played a significant role in counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel, where armed groups have exploited security vacuums to expand. The Tinubu France military deal thus positions Nigeria to tap into that existing French defence infrastructure at a moment when the country faces simultaneous threats from Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits, and other armed groups.
