Nigeria, Bangladesh Deepen Defence Ties as Army Offers CT, Drone-Warfare Expertise
By Chidi Omeje
Nigeria and Bangladesh are moving to deepen bilateral defence cooperation, with particular emphasis on counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, drone warfare, professional military education and strategic leadership development.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, disclosed this on Thursday, October 8, 2026, when he received the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Miah Md Mainul Kabir, on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters, Abuja.
Shaibu said the Nigerian Army was prepared to share its operational experiences and expertise with Bangladesh in areas including counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and drone warfare technology, as well as the humanitarian management of internally displaced persons.
He directed relevant departments at Army Headquarters to engage their counterparts and appropriate defence authorities in developing joint training programmes and strategic frameworks designed to strengthen the combat capabilities of both armed forces.
The initiative, according to the COAS, would provide a platform for both countries to leverage their respective operational experiences and professional expertise while strengthening institutional linkages.
A significant component of the engagement was the decision to establish a National Defence College Bangladesh Alumni Association, bringing together Nigerian military personnel who have undergone strategic-level courses at Bangladeshi military institutions.
Shaibu noted that senior Nigerian officers, including the Chief of Military Intelligence (Army) and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, are among graduates of military institutions in Bangladesh.
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He said the alumni association would help institutionalise existing relationships while creating a structured platform for sustained training exchanges, technical cooperation and defence diplomacy between Nigeria and Bangladesh.
The COAS also emphasised the broader importance of professional military education in developing strategic leadership and enhancing the capacity of the Armed Forces to respond to contemporary security challenges.
Responding, High Commissioner Kabir expressed condolences to the Nigerian Army over the recent military aircraft crash in Ondo State.
He also commended Nigeria’s contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations, noting the country’s longstanding role in international efforts to maintain peace and security.
Kabir disclosed that 154 Nigerian military officers have participated in courses at the Bangladesh National Defence College, describing the existing educational relationship as a strong foundation for expanding bilateral military cooperation.
He advocated increased institutional exchanges involving the Foreign Service Academy and military training programmes of both countries, saying such engagements would contribute to strategic leadership development and deepen bilateral cooperation.
The proposed expansion of defence cooperation comes against the backdrop of increasingly complex security challenges requiring greater international collaboration, professional military exchanges and the sharing of operational knowledge.
For Nigeria, the partnership also offers an avenue to project its considerable operational experience in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism while strengthening military-to-military relations with Bangladesh through structured education, training and institutional cooperation.
The engagement between Shaibu and Kabir thus signals a move beyond traditional diplomatic interaction towards a more structured defence partnership built around knowledge exchange, professional military education, operational cooperation and strategic capacity building.
