The Turkish government has announced plans to establish a military training facility in Nigeria, aiming to enhance the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces to combat insecurity and terrorism. Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria Mehmet Poroy disclosed the initiative on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing commemorating 66 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The proposed facility is designed to allow Nigerian military personnel to receive regular training locally with the support of Turkish officers, thereby reducing the necessity for them to travel to Turkey for every training programme.
Poroy noted that 200 Nigerian special forces personnel are currently finalising a two-month training programme in Turkey. He stated that the local facility is part of a broader commitment to support Nigeria’s security efforts through defence cooperation and the exchange of experience. Additionally, both countries are exploring opportunities for the local production of military equipment in Nigeria, with Poroy emphasising that their cooperation would extend beyond the simple supply of arms and defence equipment.
“Not only selling to Nigeria the tools, equipment and arms that it needs, but also the possibility of having local production here in Nigeria,” Poroy said.
Turkey has also expressed its willingness to share its decades-long experience in combating terrorism, having lost more than 40,000 people and spent billions of dollars in its own fight against similar security challenges. Poroy described the fight against terrorism as a complex issue requiring a comprehensive approach that includes economic and religious considerations, not just military operations. He confirmed that bilateral military training assistance to the Nigerian Army has increased as part of these consultations.
In economic terms, the Turkish government is targeting $5 billion in bilateral trade with Nigeria, a significant increase from the current volume of approximately $2 billion, which includes oil and gas. This target follows instructions from the presidents of both countries during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Turkey earlier in 2026. Poroy described the existing trade volume as relatively low given Nigeria’s economic potential, noting that Turkey’s total trade with African countries stands at about $37 billion. To facilitate this growth, Turkey has introduced facilitated visa procedures for Nigerian business people, and nine agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed during Tinubu’s recent visit.
On the humanitarian front, the Turkish government has provided food assistance to 3,000 internally displaced families in Adamawa State. Turkish non-governmental organisations, alongside the Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation, spent approximately $5 million on humanitarian activities in Nigeria in the previous year. These interventions included food donations and the distribution of meat to vulnerable communities during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, with active operations in Abuja, Kano, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
The diplomatic relationship between the two countries dates back to November 9, 1960, when Turkey elevated its relations with Nigeria to ambassadorial level, barely one month after Nigeria gained independence. Poroy traced historical links between the Ottoman Empire and territories now part of Nigeria to the 16th century, citing Ottoman archives that showed diplomatic correspondence between the Ottoman Sultan and the Kanem-Borno Sultanate. He described Nigeria as a strategic partner whose importance to West Africa and the wider continent necessitates stronger bilateral relations for regional security, stability, and economic development.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
