Nigeria and Cameroon sign defence pact to secure shared southern border

Nigeria and Cameroon have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to tighten security along their shared southern border. The deal was inked on Wednesday in Yaoundé, the Cameroonian capital, after two days of talks between defence and security experts from both countries.

The signatories were Nigeria's Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and Cameroon's Minister Delegate at the Presidency in Charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo. The agreement covers both land and sea — the terrestrial and maritime domains along the Nigeria-Cameroon southern border.

Under the MoU, the two countries will step up operational coordination, share intelligence more freely, provide logistics support to each other, run joint military training, and exchange personnel. They also agreed to build stronger systems for responding to new security threats as they emerge.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, General Musa said the agreement would create a clear framework for military cooperation and joint operations. He said it would help institutionalise efforts to tackle common security problems that both countries face.

The discussions also focused on making the Combined Maritime Joint Task Force operational. That force was recently set up to improve security in the Gulf of Guinea and protect economic interests in the region — a critical waterway for oil tankers and shipping.

Musa also pushed for stronger defence industry ties. He said Africa's limited ability to produce its own military hardware is a major weakness, and that regional industrial partnerships are the way forward. He pointed to opportunities under Nigeria's Defence Industries Corporation framework and said Nigeria is ready to collaborate on defence manufacturing, technology transfer, research, and capacity building.

For his part, Assomo said Cameroon is keen to advance cooperation in defence innovation and technology. He revealed that a formal proposal framework is being finalised to turn the discussions into concrete bilateral arrangements. He called the agreement a significant milestone in Nigeria-Cameroon relations and a sign of both countries' commitment to peace and regional security.

Nigeria and Cameroon share a long border stretching from the Atlantic coast in the south up to Lake Chad in the north. The southern section includes the Bakassi Peninsula — a once-disputed area that the International Court of Justice awarded to Cameroon in 2002, leading to years of tension before both countries accepted the ruling. Security cooperation has improved since then, but cross-border crime, smuggling, and militant activity remain challenges.

This new MoU builds on existing defence ties. Both countries are already part of the Multinational Joint Task Force fighting Boko Haram and ISWAP in the Lake Chad region. The new agreement extends that cooperation to the southern border and maritime domain.