Nigeria and South Africa are stepping cooperation in the area of defence, as part of measures to tackle the security challenges in both countries and Africa, especially regarding terrorism.

To this end, Nigeria is seeking the support of South Africa for the establishment of Defence Complex for the production of arms.

This came to the fore on Monday at a forum in Abuja, where the permanent secretary in Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence and the Minister of Defence of South Africa spoke on efforts to ensure confidence building.

They said the renewed cooperation will revolve around military training, equipment support and communication.

”Take Action, Inspire Change” is the theme of Nelson Mandela International Day which is being observed today across the globe in recognition of the anti-apartheid icon’s commitment to democracy, racial justice and human rights.

As in previous years, people everywhere are being encouraged to perform at least sixty-seven minutes of community service, one minute for every year that Mandela served others through his struggle for social justice.

United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon in his message to mark the day, urged everyone to continue to build on Nelson Mandela’s legacy of selflessness and deep sense of shared purpose.