Nigeria in process of acquiring JF-17 Thunder from Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Nigeria’s Defence Adviser Brigadier General Nasiru Usman Muktar on Thursday said that his country was in the process of acquiring JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter jets from Pakistan to enhance the capabilities of the Nigerian Armed Forces (NAF).

He expressed these views at a reception hosted at Nigerian Embassy to commemorate the Nigerian Armed Force Day. Brigadier General Nasiru Usman Muktar said that Nigerian Armed Forces have partnered with many friendly countries in its bid to build a peaceful and prosperous nation and to contribute to a better world. He said that Pakistan Armed Forces have been a key ally in this regard.

High commissioners, ambassadors, senior military officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, defence advisers and attachés of different countries and journalists were greeted by High Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ambassador Maj Gen Ashimiyu Adebayo Olaniyi and Brigadier General Nasiru Usman Muktar.

Vice Admiral Ather Mukhtar, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, said that both Pakistan and Nigeria have cordial relations. He said that the Nigerian forces had participated in a joint exercise recently and Nigerian forces would again participate in such joint training/exercises to be held in 2019. Such joint exercises provide a chance to learn from each other’s experiences, he added.

He said that the defence cooperation between the two countries has spanned decades, beginning in the early 60s. The military cooperation between the two brotherly countries spans areas of training, acquisition of hardware, logistics and platforms of the NA, NN and Nigerian Armed Forces. Pakistan has also cooperated with Nigeria in terms of military hardware to prosecute the counter-terrorism war against Boko Haram insurgents.

Nasiru Usman Muktar said that the Nigerian Armed Forces Day is observed annually to remember and honour the fallen heroes and compatriots of the nation.

“This event is also to commemorate the end of the Nigerian Civil War and appreciate the sacrifices of our veterans who fought in the First and Second World Wars, United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, internal security operations and counter-terrorism war not only to safeguard a united and prosperous Nigeria but also to bequeath a safer and more peaceful world. Furthermore, the celebration affords the opportunity to project the Nigerian Armed Forces as instruments of national unity, integration and development, he concluded.