Nigeria, Türkiye seal defence pact on training, technology transfer

Nigeria and Türkiye have agreed to deepen defence cooperation with new plans covering military training, technology transfer, maritime security and border surveillance following bilateral talks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026.

Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, led a high-level delegation to the meeting with Turkish defence officials, alongside the Chief of the Air Staff, diplomats and senior ministry representatives.

According to a statement on Sunday by Queeneth Iheoma- Hart director press at the ministry, the talks reaffirmed relations between both countries and produced practical agreements aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s defence capacity.

Among the key outcomes was a proposal for structured training programmes for Nigerian armed forces in areas such as Special Forces operations, counterterrorism, intelligence integration, counter-drone operations and United Nations pre-deployment exercises.

Both sides also agreed on the immediate deployment of an initial group of Nigerian personnel to Türkiye for training, while plans were discussed for the establishment of a major military training facility in Nigeria.

Nigeria is expected to provide a temporary training site, while a coastal location has been identified for permanent infrastructure.

On defence production, both countries committed to partnerships involving technology transfer, maintenance training and co-development initiatives to boost Nigeria’s indigenous defence capability.

Türkiye also expressed readiness to support Nigeria with advanced surveillance systems, unmanned aerial platforms, satellite-enabled monitoring, counter-drone systems and specialised land platforms suited to Nigeria’s operational environment.