France pledges equipment, intelligence support for MNJTF

French President François Hollande has pledged to assist the Multinational Joint Task Force with intelligence gathering and equipment to fight terrorism in Nigeria and the African sub-region.

Hollande said this on Monday at the Elysee Palace in Paris, after a closed door bilateral meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on a three-day official visit to France.

Addressing a joint press conference, the French President said his government was concerned about the increasing spate of insecurity in Nigeria and the entire West Africa and was ready to render support in tackling extremism.

He said himself and Buhari discussed during the meeting new strategies of partnership that would enable Nigeria and its neighboring countries of Cameroun, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic through the joint action of the MNJTF to fight the insurgency and restore peace.

The French President  explained that as an intervention approach to assist in the fight, France last year hosted a Regional Summit on Security in Paris which brought together the neighboring countries to chat the way forward.

“We provide all of the support to the countries in the region which are affected by this cult and in Nigeria, we want to provide support and solidarity,” he noted.

Hollande also thanked  Buhari for his recent actions such as the movement of the military command center to Maiduguri which had helped in curbing Boko Haram’s attacks.

He also disclosed that France had concluded arrangements to invest a total of €130m in the development of infrastructure in Nigeria for rebuilding of roads, provision of electricity and water supply.

He said, “Despite the fall in the price of crude oil in the international market which has affected Nigerian expected revenue, the country’s economy still remained strong.

“The Nigerian economy remains strong, so France wants to be doing business in the country.”

In his remarks, Buhari thanked the French government for its interest in assisting Nigeria and expressed the readiness of his administration to partner with France for the over all development of the country.

He noted that with commitment from France, Nigeria’s next shopping list regarding support will move to other members of the G7.

He said, “Our next shopping list is going to G7 in  terms of intelligence and training. Another problem is the Gulf of Guinea, from Senegal to Angola, that area is endowed with resources like petroleum and other minerals but surrounded by piracy and theft.”

PUNCH