Nigeria and Cameroon have taken a major step toward enhancing regional security with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and improving security along their shared southern border.

The agreement was signed in Yaoundé on Tuesday by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), and Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo, following two days of high-level discussions involving defence and security experts from both countries.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Defence on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the MoU provides a modern framework for addressing emerging security threats while deepening the longstanding defence relationship between the two neighbouring nations.

The agreement establishes a renewed structure for cooperation in securing both land and maritime territories along the Nigeria-Cameroon southern border and strengthens existing mechanisms for bilateral military collaboration.

Key areas of cooperation identified during the talks include intelligence sharing, operational coordination, logistics support, joint military exercises, personnel exchange programmes, and collective responses to evolving security challenges.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, General Musa described the MoU as a strategic instrument that would institutionalise military cooperation and provide a clear framework for coordinated operations between both countries.

The discussions also highlighted the need to activate the recently established Combined Maritime Joint Task Force to enhance maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and safeguard critical economic and security interests shared by both nations.

On defence industrial development, Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to advancing partnerships in defence technology, manufacturing, innovation, research, and capacity building. He noted that Africa’s defence sector continues to face challenges due to limited local production of military equipment and stressed the importance of regional collaboration to bridge existing gaps.

In his remarks, Cameroon’s Defence Minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, expressed his country’s readiness to deepen cooperation in defence innovation and technology. He revealed that a formal framework is currently being developed to translate the commitments into practical bilateral projects.

The new agreement marks another milestone in Nigeria-Cameroon relations and underscores the commitment of both countries to promoting lasting peace, protecting regional sovereignty, and strengthening collective security through strategic defence cooperation.