Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has met with his Beninese counterpart, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, in Abuja to discuss recent security developments in the region.
During the meeting held at the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), both officials reviewed the recent attempted coup in the Republic of Benin and broader security concerns affecting West Africa.
Tuggar noted that much of Nigeria’s insecurity is influenced by external factors, stressing that Nigeria and Benin share deep historical, cultural, and economic ties—making a coordinated regional approach indispensable. He said events in one country inevitably have ripple effects on the other, reinforcing the need for stronger joint action.
Both ministers reaffirmed the already strong working relationship between their countries and agreed that enhanced cooperation remains critical for regional stability.
Bakari said the events in Benin demonstrated that democracy remains resilient in Africa. He expressed gratitude for the swift support that helped prevent the attempted coup from escalating, praising Nigeria for responding promptly when Benin sought ECOWAS intervention.
He explained that Benin requested Nigerian troop support because the coup plotters had positioned themselves in a sensitive area where precision was required to neutralise them without endangering civilians. According to him, the targeted aerial backup provided was crucial in securing key positions.
Bakari also highlighted the need for a standby regional force to forestall future destabilisation attempts.
He said the strong synergy between Nigeria and Benin was instrumental in restoring calm and confirmed that the situation in Benin is now fully under control.
