Abuja: Nigeria has asked France for support to help tackle growing insecurity across the country, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed after a call with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. The request comes as the nation faces rising violence linked to Islamist militants, armed gangs, and mass kidnappings.
Macron said France is ready to assist Nigeria but explained that support would focus on intelligence sharing, training and cooperation rather than deploying French troops. France has withdrawn most of its forces from West and Central Africa in recent years, shifting its approach away from large military operations.
Nigeria is dealing with a surge in deadly attacks, including recent kidnappings of children from schools and worshippers from a church. The situation has led to strong public pressure on the government to act. Last week, Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar resigned, officially citing health reasons, just as the crisis escalated. The government has since declared a nationwide security emergency.
To strengthen its response, Nigeria plans to recruit thousands of new police officers and redeploy special security units. Authorities are also preparing to train additional forest guards to help track armed groups operating in remote areas.
International attention has increased as violence spreads across northern and central regions. The United States has expressed concern, especially over threats against Christian communities. Nigerian officials, however, argue that the attacks are driven by criminal and extremist groups targeting people regardless of religion or ethnicity.
Despite the security tensions, both Nigeria and France say their cooperation extends beyond defense. The two countries are already working together in trade, infrastructure, education and energy. The new security discussions are seen as part of a wider strategy to strengthen long term partnership.
For now, the Nigerian government is balancing public expectations with caution about foreign involvement. Officials say any international support must respect national sovereignty.
Talks between the two governments are expected to continue in the coming weeks as Nigeria looks for ways to improve security and protect communities affected by the violence.