Türkiye to establish military training facility in Nigeria
Turkiye has signed an agreement to establish a major military training facility in Nigeria. The European country will provide a temporary site in Nigeria pending the development of a permanent
Turkiye has signed an agreement to establish a major military training facility in Nigeria.
The European country will provide a temporary site in Nigeria pending the development of a permanent coastal-based centre of excellence for the training facility.
This is contained in a comprehensive defence partnership agreement covering military training, technology transfer, intelligence sharing, and maritime cooperation between both nations.
The bilateral agreement is aimed at strengthening national security and operational efficiency.
The agreement was reached during high-level bilateral talks between the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), and his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026.
A statement yesterday in Abuja by Queeneth Iheoma-Hart on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry of Defence, announced the bilateral agreement.
According to the statement, the discussions reaffirmed the longstanding defence relationship between both countries and produced concrete agreements aimed at boosting Nigeria’s defence capabilities under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the statement, Türkiye proposed structured training programmes for the Nigerian Armed Forces personnel in Special Forces operations, counterterrorism, intelligence integration, counter-drone and counter-IED operations, as well as United Nations (UN) pre-deployment training.
“Both countries agreed on the immediate deployment of an initial batch of Nigerian personnel to Türkiye.
“They also agreed on structured and scalable training engagements, including immediate deployment of Nigerian personnel to Türkiye for specialised instruction and field exercises,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation in defence industry development through technology transfer, maintenance training, and co-development initiatives.
“The partnership will leverage platforms, such as IDEF 2026 to strengthen institutional collaboration and enhance Nigeria’s indigenous defence capabilities.
“Türkiye also expressed readiness to support Nigeria with advanced surveillance systems, unmanned aerial platforms, satellite-enabled monitoring technologies, counter-drone and counter-IED systems, as well as specialised air and ground platforms.
“Both countries agreed to commence immediate technical engagements on integrated border management systems and enhanced intelligence sharing mechanisms to counter emerging security threats,” it added.
The statement noted that discussions also covered strengthening aircraft maintenance systems, supply chains, and operational readiness, including potential acquisition and lifecycle support for helicopters and unmanned systems.
It added Nigerian representatives were expected to engage Turkish counterparts to evaluate suitable maritime platforms and enhance maritime domain awareness.
According to the statement, Türkiye also offered to share best practices in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes to support Nigeria’s ongoing efforts in managing surrendered combatants.
Read Also: HLF honours 13 Nigerians as Anyaoku urges return to integrity, hard work
Speaking on the outcome of the talks, Gen. Musa described the partnership as a major milestone in Nigeria’s defence diplomacy.
He assured that implementation of the agreements would commence immediately, particularly in training deployments and technical cooperation frameworks.
“The outcomes of this engagement mark a significant step forward in Nigeria–Türkiye defence relations.
“We are committed to delivering tangible and measurable results that will strengthen our national security and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Nigeria looks forward to the timely implementation of all initiatives agreed in Antalya,” he said.
The minister further confirmed that all proposals and agreements would be formally documented and processed through appropriate channels for execution.
According to him, immediate steps include the commencement of training deployments, technical exchanges on border surveillance systems, and planning for both temporary and permanent training infrastructure in Nigeria.
